The US Civil War was a key event in shaping the nation. It started April 12 1861 and the last shot was fired May 9 1865 June 22 1865. The origin of the war was centred uncompromising differences between the northern and southern states, over the power of the national government to prohibit slavery in the territories that hadn't yet formed into states. Fighting was between the Confederacy, or the South, and the Union, otherwise known as the North. The bloody war resulted in 600,000 Union and Confederate soldiers dead. The north came out victors, causing the confederacy to collapse, and slavery to be abolished. Thought to be a simple war, it took the union just over four years to win the civil war. This delay was due to the Battle of Fort Sumter, Union Blockade and the Peninsula Campaign . The civil war began at the battle of Fort Sumter. The …show more content…
It was under control of the Confederates and the Union was planning an attack, led by Major Anderson. On April 14 1861, General P.G.T. Beauregard,in command of the Confederate forces around the Harbour, opened fire on the Union holding Fort Sumter. The fort was made out of five foot stone walls, after the 1812 war to protect the bay and the city of South Carolina and contained sixty cannons.At approximately 2:30pm on the next day Major Anderson surrendered the fort and was evacuated the next day. As a result of the Confederates holding their ground, they added an additional ninety cannons and had five-hundred soldiers housed in the fort. Determined to proceed and win the war, the Union developed a sea vessel, known as the Iron Clad. For the first time, a fleet could go into battle. On April 7 1863 at