★ AMERICA 250

American History Timeline

1861: Civil War Begins at Fort Sumter

Confederate forces fire on Fort Sumter, beginning the Civil War and the nation's greatest constitutional crisis.

April 12, 1861 · Chapter 3 · Pages 43-44

Currier and Ives print of the bombardment of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor
Visual direction: Library of Congress Civil War print

What Happened

The Civil War grew from decades of conflict over slavery, federal authority, sectional power, and the future of the Union. Fort Sumter marked the shift from political rupture to open war.

Why It Matters

No American history timeline can understand the country without the Civil War. It tested whether the Union could survive and whether the nation's founding promises could be made real.

Worth Knowing

The attack on Fort Sumter began before sunrise and led President Lincoln to call for troops.

Where It Fits in the America 250 Book

This story appears in Chapter 3, Pages 43-44, as part of the 160-page landscape collector edition. The book expands timeline moments like this with archival imagery, maps, concise narrative context, and feature spreads designed for browsing and display.

Related Search Topics

Civil War timelineFort SumterAbraham Lincoln