FORT SUMTER

ByRachel Kitto

VIDEO CLIP http://videos.howstuffworks.com/hsw/24181-the-civil-war-fort-sumter-the-civil-war-begins-video.htm

CONSTRUCTION Named after a revolutionary war hero, General Thomas

Sumter Located in Charleston County, South Carolina.

(Charleston Harbor) Built after the war of 1812, along with many other forts

along the southern U.S. coast Construction for the fort began in 1827 and was still

unfinished in 1860 A five-sided brick fort that covered over 199 acres. The fort stood 50 feet above the low tide mark and had

walls 5 feet deep. Designed to house 650 men and 135 guns.

IMPORTANCEWhere the first shots of the Civil War

were fired on April 12, 1861

FIRST BATTLE OF THE CIVIL WAR Union soldiers (127 men) under the command of U.S. Army

Major Robert Anderson were stationed at Fort Sumter when Confederate Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard arrived.

On April 11, 1861 Beauregard demand the surrender of the fort. Anderson declined.

On April 12, 1861 at 4:30 AM Beauregard opened fire on Fort Sumter

The firing lasted for 34 straight hours on the fort. On April 13, Union soldiers surrendered and evacuated the

fort No one was killed during the firing The Confederates would hold the fort for another 4 years

END OF THE CIVIL WAR

The Confederacy never surrendered Fort Sumter, but General William T. Sherman’s advance through South Carolina finally forced the Confederates to evacuate Charleston on February 17, 1865 and abandon Fort Sumter.

The U.S. government officially claimed Fort Sumter on February 22, 1865 with a flag raising ceremony.

AFTER THE WAR Fort Sumter was in ruins after the war. The U.S. Army worked to restore it as a useful military

installation. From 1876 to 1897, Fort Sumter was used only as an

unmanned lighthouse station. The start of the Spanish-American War prompted

renewed interest in its military use and reconstruction began on the sections of the fort that had further eroded over time.

Until World War II, the fort was unused except as a tourist destination

Fort Sumter became a U.S. National Monument in 1948.

FORT SUMTER AS A NATIONAL MONUMENT Fort Sumter National Monument is based of three sites

in Charleston: the original Fort Sumter, the Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center, and the Fort Moultrie National Monument on Sullivan's Island.

The museum at Fort Sumter focuses on the activities at the fort, including its construction and role during the Civil War.

Accesses to Fort Sumter itself consist of a 30 minute ferry ride.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Websites• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Sumter• http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/sc001.htm• http://library.thinkquest.org/3055/graphics/battles/fortsumter.html• http://blueandgraytrail.com/event/Fort_Sumter• http://www.google.com/

#q=fort+sumter&hl=en&tbs=tl:1&tbo=u&ei=S0cTS5_7IYecMIftkTM&sa=X&oi=timeline_result&ct=title&resnum=16&ved=0CDoQ5wIwDw&fp=6b22d27f49a5e7dd

• Books• The world book Encyclopedia, volume 7,Book F, pg. 360• A History of American People, pgs. 519,528,529-530

Pictures• http://ro3011.k12.sd.us/event/pics/battle%20pics/ft%20sumter.jpg• http://www.freewebs.com/sumterball/fort%20sumter%20color.jpg• http://www.mclib.org/attack-fort-sumter.jpg• http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/hh/12/images/hh12t1.jpg• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ft._Sumter_cannon.jpg• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ft._Sumter_entrance.jpg• http://www.old-picture.com/civil-war/pictures/Fort-Sumter-Wall.jpg

Video• http://videos.howstuffworks.com/hsw/24181-the-civil-war-fort-sumter-the-civil-war-begins-video.htm