Fort Sumter Research Paper

As President of The United States, Lincoln wanted to keep these seceding Southern states to remain a part of America. He felt that the union was not just an arrangement to govern over the states, but it indeed symbolized the future of American freedom where slavery would be abolished for good and protected the rights of every human being. When the Confederates decided to attack Fort Sumter, a Union fort, in April of 1861, the peace broke. This attack was known to have started the American Civil

Fort Sumter is located in Charleston, South Carolina. The fort is in Charleston's harbor. The fort was not even complete when war broke out. This was a big turning point for the United States of America. It separated the north from the south and in some cases it separated families. This war would impact how the United States saw slavery. It is the most deadly war that the United States has every seen in its history.

Lincoln inaugural appealed the secessionists in the Southern. Lincoln made promises in defending the rights of the state and also protecting the slaves in states where slavery existed. He clearly put across that, he will defend the Union and the Constitution. In his speech, he pleaded in finding a common ground. His speech appeared conciliatory to the Northerners, however, to the southern people, the speech was reportedly, like the declaration of the start of a war. The next morning after his inauguration, the garrison at Fort Sumter was reported to be forced to surrender unless there was a resupply. The Government of Confederate claimed the fort, and looked for reinforcements as an action of war. Surrendering the fort would have only strengthened the cause of

His ended his speech with a plea for the restoration of the bonds of union. The South just ignored his plea. Violence and outrage turned to belligerence in the North, which in turn had many southerners clamouring for war. At 4.30am on April 12th 1861, Confederate gunners opened fire on Federal - held Fort Sumter, situated in the middle of Charleston Harbour. The only real casualty was a horse. This gentle brawl was the start of a longer, harder and bloodier war than anyone could dream of.

after an American Revolutionary War Hero General Thomas Sumter. Fort Sumter was one of a

The April 12 paper included information on the confederates asking Major Anderson to surrender Fort Sumter and strategies for the defense of the fort. In the Times article “The Forts in Charleston Harbor” there is a sense that the union forces have positioned themselves well and the confederates have waited too long allowing the opportunity for reinforcements to arrive if needed at Fort Sumter. This feeling can be seen in the final sentence where it reads: “But be the motive what it may, there is little doubt that they have lost the golden opportunity, and that the Stars and Stripes will continue to wave over the old fort, unless puerile negotiations should allow the Confederate force to prepare

The Confederates has forty-seven guns at their disposal and pummeled the fort for thirty-four hours. It took some time for the Northerners to fire back and some Southerners grew concerned they would not have a proper battle, but their fears dissipated when Abner Doubleday fired the Unions first shot of the war a few hours later. The Union would fire back occasionally but they tried to conserve their ammo and not waste it idly firing back, due to lack of munitions in the garrison. Despite the hours of bombardment from the Confederate guns Fort Sumter was taking little damage because of its twelve-foot thick

After the Fort Sumter battle, both the North and the South began preparing for war by raising armies. This was done quickly and neither side spent much time training the troops. Both sides also did not know what a long and terrible war was ahead.

U.S. Major Robert Anderson occupied the unfinished fort in December 1860 following South Carolina’s secession from the Union, initiating a standoff with the state militia forces. When President Abraham Lincoln announced plans to resupply the fort, Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard shelled Fort Sumter in April of 1861. After a 34 hour exchange, Anderson and his soldiers surrendered the fort. Confederate troops then would come to occupy fort Sumter for almost four years, before abandoning the fort prior to William Truman’s capture of Charleston in February 1865. (The Civil War: Primary Documents on Events from 1860 to 1865, 79)

     After the Fort Sumter battle, both the North and the South began preparing for war by raising armies. This was done quickly and neither side spent much time training the troops. Both sides also did not know what a long and terrible war was ahead.

Diarist Mary Chesnet heard the opening shot. "I sprang out of bed." she wrote in her Charleston hotel room. "And on my knees--prostrate--I prayed as I never prayed before." The bombardment of Fort Sumter, or the Battle of Fort Sumter was the starting point of the American Civil War. Fort Sumter is a man-made granite island located in Charleston, South Carolina, which is closer to South. Fort Sumter is also designed to hold 540 soldiers and 146 big guns. The most important thing about Fort Sumter is that the first battle was held in Fort Sumter, and it was the first place where American Civil War started.

The construction of Fort Sumter was one of the 50 forts started during 1829 as part of a costal garrison, Congress implemented this third system in 1817 to control access to Charleston Harbor. This man-made island was built out of thousands of tons of granite that measured only 2.4 acres and the fort was built to sustain roughly 650 soldiers and 135 artillery pieces. (History.com staff, 2009) The construction of the outer fortification and the island would be completed in 1860,

Northern troops were positioned at Fort Sumter in South Carolina, when the Southern states succeed from the Union. As a result, Lincoln faced the most difficult decision of his life. The troops there needed food and supplies, or they would die. If Lincoln sent armed reinforcements to the Fort, the South would assume it was an act of aggression and fire upon the union soldiers. Lincoln’s actions would either start a war between family and friends or recognize the South’s secession as legitimate and separate America into two different countries. His decision would decide the fate of the men in the fort and the country.

On April12th 1861 a confederate general conglomerated around Charleston harbor. They rained fire upon the union soldiers at Fort Sumter. At 2:30 in the afternoon the next day the garrison commander surrendered the fort. The next day the fort was

Fort Sumter was statically important because of it is location on the entrance to the harbor in Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston was a major city and sea port in the South. Before Lincoln’s inauguration, several states started to secede from the Union and during this time many of the federal forts were seized. There was little opposition on taking over the forts as they were not manned very well. Most of the regular Army soldiers were stationed in the west to protect setters from Indians attacks.