What was the attack on Sumter?

The attack on Fort Sumter occurred on April 12, 1861, marking the beginning of the American Civil War. Confederate forces, seeking to assert their control over the secessionist states, fired on the Union-held fort in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. After a 34-hour bombardment, the fort surrendered, with no casualties reported on either side. This event galvanized the North and led to increased enlistment and military engagement in the conflict.