- The Battle of Fort Sumter was the first battle of the American Civil War.
- It took place in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, from April 12 to April 13, 1861.
- The battle began when Confederate forces attacked the Union-held Fort Sumter.
- The Union surrendered after 34 hours of bombardment.
- The Battle of Fort Sumter was the first major military engagement of the American Civil War.
- It marked the beginning of four years of bloody conflict that would ultimately result in the abolition of slavery and the preservation of the United States as a united nation.