The bombardment of Fort Sumter marked the outbreak of the American Civil War, a conflict that would last for four years and lead to extensive devastation and loss of life. Located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, Fort Sumter was a key U.S. military installation in a southern state that had seceded from the Union. Tensions had been building between the North and the South over issues such as states' rights and slavery, culminating in South Carolina's decision to leave the Union in December 1860, followed by other southern states. Major Robert Anderson, the fort's commander, had moved his men into Fort Sumter in an effort to maintain federal control over the area.On April 12, 1861, Confederate forces, under the command of Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard, opened fire on Fort Sumter after demands for surrender were ignored. The attack began early in the morning and continued for 34 hours, with artillery fire raining down on Union troops and the fort slowly being reduced to ruins. Major Anderson and his men, faced with dwindling supplies of food and ammunition, ultimately surrendered to the Confederate forces on April 13, marking the first military engagement of the Civil War. The event garnered national attention, leading to a strong response from President Abraham Lincoln, who called for volunteers to suppress the insurrection and restore the Union, thus escalating the conflict significantly.