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UNIT 11: Civil War Begins
UNIT 11: Civil War Begins
Lesson: The Battle of Fort Sumter
Lesson: The Battle of Fort Sumter
8.62 Describe the outbreak of the Civil War and the resulting sectional differences, including: economic, geographic, and technological advances, military strategies, the roles of President Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, the significance of Fort Sumter, and geographical divisions within states.
8.62 Describe the outbreak of the Civil War and the resulting sectional differences, including: economic, geographic, and technological advances, military strategies, the roles of President Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, the significance of Fort Sumter, and geographical divisions within states.
The Battle of Fort Sumter
The Battle of Fort Sumter
After the formation of the Confederate States of America, South Carolina began taking over all Federal property within the state, this included military forts and naval bases.
The new Confederate Soldiers from South Carolina were able to take over all of the bases peacefully except for one, the military base at Fort Sumter.
Fort Sumter sits on an island near the city of Charleston, South Carolina. It was created to protect the city from the British during the War of 1812.
Since Fort Sumter is on an island, it makes it harder to attack and even harder to invade!
Fort Sumter, South Carolina
Drawing of the Battle of Fort Sumter
The Federal troops stationed at Fort Sumter refused to leave the fort. The Confederate Soldiers wanted them them gone and began to circle the fort, forming a blockade, not letting any supplies reach the fort.
The blockade went on for days. The Confederates hoped that without supplies, eventually the Federal troops would be forced to leave. The blockade continued and lasted for weeks. Determined to get Fort Sumter back, the Governor of South Carolina threatened that if any Federal ships entered Charleston Harbor to resupply the Federal Troops at Fort Sumter, the Confederate Soldiers would attack.
The new President of the United States Abraham Lincoln had a decision to make. Would he order the Federal troops to leave Fort Sumter in South Carolina and give the fort back to the state, or would he attempt to keep the fort by sending a Federal ship of supplies?
Even though the Governor of South Carolina had threatened to attack any Federal ships were sent to Charleston, Lincoln ordered supplies to be sent anyways. When the Federal ship reached Charleston, the Confederate Soldiers attacked.
Above is a picture of Fort Sumter after the battle. The Confederate flag is shown raised over the fort after the victory.
THE 34 HOUR BATTLE
THE 34 HOUR BATTLE
Confederates fired the first shots of the Civil War on Fort Sumter at 4:30 AM on April 12, 1861.
The cannon shots lasted until 2:30 PM the next day. The Battle of Fort Sumter lasted 34 hours, but no one on either side was killed.
Federal troops eventually agreed to peacefully surrender and evacuate the fort, giving it back to South Carolina and the Confederates.
The new Confederate Soldiers had successfully taken the fort back from the Federal government, but the War had just begun.
A recruitment poster for the Union Army from New York
THE WAR HAS BEGUN
THE WAR HAS BEGUN
President Lincoln was furious, he declared South Carolina could not secede and instead was in a "state of rebellion."
He called on 75,000 troops from across the United States to join the new Union Army to put down the rebellion in the south.
This would do anything but unite the nation. After his call for 75,000 troops, four more states seceded and joined the Confederacy.
US President Abraham Lincoln
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