The Civil War: The Battle Of Fort Sumter

Many causes led to the Civil War. This all happened around the mid 1800s. It was a conflict between the Northern and Southern states. Both sides had their own view on slavery, and their separate views caused contentions between the two. Both had different views on whether to expand or stop slavery growth to the West, or have slavery at all.

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.

If asking an average person on what started the Civil War, one would probably answer with slavery. However, there were several other reasons for why the Civil War took place. The South wanted to succeed mainly for the same reason the Colonies succeeded from British Powers. The South wanted their independence. The South wanted to escape the tariffs that were being placed on them by Andrew Jackson, just as the British were putting tariffs on the colonies. The tariffs created a very hostile atmosphere that was pushing the states’ decisions to secede from the Union. These tariffs would reduce the amount of money the South could take in, because foreign countries could not afford to buy much cotton because lack of their exported income from the tariffs. Vice President, John Calhoun proposed that the states have the right to nullify a federal law that not only can protect the welfare of the states but it also violated the Constitution. Once Calhoun proposed this nullification, to the South it became clear that the North could wield power that could damage the South’s economy. The South believed that they were fighting against a tyrannical government that the North were subjugating and enslaving them. The South really disliked the high taxes, which isn’t it one of the main reasons that our previous generations fought against in the Revolutionary

Why the Civil War was fought is a question that, to this day, is still not entirely clear. Many people say that the Civil War was fought over the issue of slavery, while others believe that the South seceding was the prominent issue. While slavery was the original issue that started the war, the secession of the Southern States is what mainly drove the Civil War. The reason the Southern States were fighting for secession was because the Northern States were not giving the South equal say and power in the government and were also threatening to take away the South’s way of life and primary beliefs. While many believe that the South did not have the right to secede the South did have the right to secede.

On March 5, 1861 the day after President Lincoln inauguration of the United States, The president received a message (Beringer, Why the South lost the Civil War). In attempt by the confederate government to settle differences with the union were sponged by Lincoln and the confederate felt it could no longer tolerate a foreign force in its territory (Goldfield, 2002). Lincoln ingeniously devised a plan that would case the Confederates to fire the first shot and hoped to inspire the states that had not yet seceded to unite in effort to restore the union (Goldfield, 2002). Major Robert Anderson, who commanded the United States forces at Charleston, made the decision to withdraw from the land and forts surrounding Charleston to the harbor fortress of Fort Sumter because of the dangerous situations (Davis, 1958). He commanded almost 100 troops and desperately needed reinforcements with supplies of both food and ammunition (Schweikart, 2004).

Throughout the course of the Civil War “Roughly 2% of the population, an estimated 620,000 men, lost their lives in the line of duty. Taken as a percentage of today 's population, the toll would have risen as high as 6 million souls” (“Civil War Casualties, n.d.). The numerous battles fought that were responsible for this horrific death toll included everything from small, armed, nameless skirmishes to full-blown engagements which involved

The American Civil War (1861-1865) resulted from the growing tension between the Northern and Southern United states over their ideas of strong Central government versus strong State governments. The South was in favor of strong state governments on the other hand North preferred strong central government. It resulted in the war after Abraham Lincoln who resembled with the idea of anti-slavery was elected as President of United States in 1860.

America was very divided in the 1960’s.In early spring of 1861, decades of hot pressure between the north and the south United States over an argument over states rights versus federal force, westward development and slavery blew up into an American Civil War. (1861-65) (History.com Staff).

I chose the Battle of Fort Sumter for my NHD topic because I think it is the most important battle of SC’s history. The battle of Fort Sumter was the beginning of the Civil War which had many ‘firsts’. The first battle between ironclad ships, the first large-scale use of African-American soldiers and sailors in United States, the first use of quinine to treat typhoid fever, and America's first military draft. I conducted my research by searching for the basics, such as who fought in the battle and why. By learning about why they fought I was able to learn about the different point of view each side had and the difference in economies that led to the tension between North and the South. I then created a timeline from the election of Abraham

The Civil War happened because of slavery but thats not the only reason. America was on the road to war. (Crash Course #18) After Lincoln became the president, Southerners felt they had no power political system that was controlled by voters in the North that they felt no connection to. The many difference between the North and South caused conflict that eventually led to war.

The Truth: The Civil War began due to differences in beliefs on slavery. The free states and slave states did not agree when it came to the national government's power to prohibit slavery in the territories that were not yet considered states. When Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860 pledging to end slavery in southern territories, seven slave states seceded from the Union to form The Confederate States of America. Lincoln and most of his fellow northerners feared for the future of democracy and their country when this happened and did not acknowledge the secession as a legitimate political move. The war officially started when the Confederate army claimed Fort Sumter as their own in April of 1861 by opening fire and forcing the federal troops to lower the American flag and surrender.

The North and the South both had to make extreme adjustments in order to prepare themselves for an all-out internal war. Both sides of this conflict grew from the same place. It was severely differing opinions and ideologies that caused the bloodiest war in American history. Most people believe that the Civil war was fought over the slavery enterprise, and they are partially right. The civil war did in fact have ties to opposition and the attempted removal of slavery in the United States, but that was not the only reason for this bloody and ill-fated War Between the States.

The firing on that fort will inaugurate a civil war greater than any the world has yet seen…you will lose us every friend at the North. You will wantonly strike a hornet’s nest which extends from mountains to ocean. Legions now quiet will swarm out and string us to death. It is unnecessary. It put us in the wrong. It is fatal. –Robert Toombs. (Boerner paragraph 2).

April 14th, 1861, Fort Sumpter, attacked by confederate canons, surrendered. Lincoln responded quickly, hearing that Fort Sumpter was attacked. The following day that was coming up, he called over 70,000 volunteers to help the battle. A newly founded unity was spread across the North, Recruitment stations were full of men going against the Rebellion. As that was occurring, different things were happening at the Border states; the governors of Kentucky and Missouri refused to grant troops. As a lot more of states started to side with the south, the tensions between Lincoln and the south,

The civil war was mainly sparked by tensions between the north and the south. Both sides rarely agreed on topics and could never make a compromise. Slavery was a big reason for the start of the civil war, but the causes don’t end there. Although some may say that political or economic reasons started the civil war between the north and the south, political reasons were the real cause. This is because of important decisions made by the government, and the south seceding.