Fort Sumter: Animated Battle Map

[Music] even before the Civil War the nation was divided north and south slavery was at the heart of issues involving economics politics and sectional power these issues boiled over in the halls of Congress at Harpers Ferry and elsewhere the slave labor of the agricultural south was the fuel that drove the region's economy the industrial north was driven by a manufacturing based economy this diversity helped fanned the flames of secession and would have significant impact upon the coming war the presidential election of 1860 proved to be the final spark that tore the country apart nominees Stephen Douglas and John C Breckinridge represented the north and south respectively the constitutional Union Party sent John Bell as their candidate with Abraham Lincoln as the Republican Party's nominee Lincoln's anti-slavery views were seen by many southerners as a direct threat to their way of life therefore when Abraham Lincoln won the election of 1860 southern states were outraged on December 20th 1860 South Carolina seceded from the Union six other states soon followed forming the Confederate States of America with the Union dissolved civil war was inevitable by March 1861 nearly all the forts in Mayville yards in the second States had been seized by the new government Charleston Harbor was among a handful of coastal strongholds that remained in federal possession when South Carolina seceded from the Union there were three u.s. fortifications in Charleston Harbor Castle pickney was built in 1810 to provide for inner harbor defense by 1860 it was in need of major repair and it's garrison consisted of only two people a widowed sergeant and his teenage daughter Fort Moultrie first built in 1776 with succeeding forts built on the same site was completed in 1809 with 50 cannon mounted it served as the major fortification to defend Charleston Harbor into the beginning of the war fort sumter was an imposing site sitting on a man-made island the brick fort was 90% complete in 1860 and the most defensible fortification in Charleston Harbor in November 1860 major Robert Anderson assumed command of u.s. fortifications in Charleston Harbor headquartered at Fort Moultrie soon after South Carolina seceded major Anderson moved his command of 85 officers and men to Fort Sumter under cover of darkness Fort Sumter was the safest and most defensible position he could hold against attack with a limited number of men and supplies at hand Charleston Ian's were outraged and within a few days South Carolina militia had seized all federal property in the area except Fort Sumter they occupied Castle Pinckney and seized Fort Moultrie in defiance of the federal presence in Charleston Harbor the Southerners rebuilt batteries and constructed new fortifications on Sullivan's Island on Morris Island and on James Island when Anderson and his troops first entered Fort Sumter the fort was far from complete for three months Anderson prepared Fort Sumter for combat by April 12th however fewer than half the needed cannon were ready and even these lakh soldiers demand them as the Federals strengthened Sumter Confederate forces could be seen building batteries and mounting cannons along the harbor Shore 43 southern cannon were trained on Fort Sumter and more than 3,500 Confederate soldiers man Charleston Harbor defense Anderson was running low on provisions and in January a federal relief ship left New York with supplies for Fort Sumter when the star of the West appeared at the entrance to Charleston Harbor cadets from Charleston's elite Citadel Military Academy opened fire upon the unarmed ship the star of the West turned back without reaching the fort [Music] by April of 1861 major Robert Anderson was in a tight fix Confederates surrounded Fort Sumter and were expected to attack at any time to avoid war the Confederate government ordered general PGT Beauregard to demand the evacuation of Fort Sumter and if refused to reduce it his aides visited Fort Sumter twice under flag of truce and presented Anderson with the ultimatum but without success at 4:30 a.m. on April 12th a shot fired from Fort Johnson on James Island burst over Fort Sumter and signaled the Confederate batteries in Charleston Harbor to commence an assault on the fort the Civil War had begun at daybreak Union forces opened fire in response Charlestonians watched as the bombardment of the fort continued for 34 hours during the second day of the battle artillery fire from Fort Moultrie set parts of Fort Sumter on fire with so few men Anderson could not fight the fire and the Confederates at the same time at 2 o'clock that afternoon arrangements were made for Anderson to surrender the fort on April 14th 1861 after a 50 gun salute to the US flag Anderson and his men withdrew to New York aboard a union supply ship shortly after Confederate forces occupied Fort Sumter with photographers right behind [Music] for the next four years fort sumpter became a symbol for the south it was sacred ground where the first shot in the war for Southern independence was fired for the North Fort Sumter symbolized secession and disloyalty u.s. Navy ships formed a blockade to keep southern cargo vessels from using Charleston's port on April 7th 1863 the war returned when nine federal gunboats attacked Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie after two and a half hours the artillery duel was over leaving the Federals without their prize for the next 20 months Union forces bombarded Fort Sumter in an attempt to force surrender they tried amphibious landings but without success Union attacks had a devastating effect upon Fort Sumter with walls crumbling and cannons dismounted by late 1863 it resembled a giant pile of rubble finally as the war's end mere Fort Sumter was evacuated on April 14th 1865 Anderson came out of retirement to raise the US flag once again over Fort Sumter the war was over [Music] you

Channel: American Battlefield Trust

Views: 198,931

Rating: 4.844645 out of 5

Keywords: American Battlefield Trust, Civil War Trust, Start of the Civil War, Beginning of the Civil War, Battle of Fort Sumter, Southern Secession

Id: Hfn5BZZBpoU

Length: 7min 34sec (454 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 13 2019