The Civil War Begins...

South Carolina got together and talked about leaving the Union. This idea was easily passed with no objections.

Four days later, South Carolina issued the reasons why they were leaving.



After these reasons were stated, other states followed South Carolina's lead.

Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas all left. Eventually four other states; Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas warned that if the federal government used force against a state, they would leave too.

Lincoln now had to decide what he was going to do. He thought that if he pubically said something, he would make it worse, so he privately tried to talk southern leaders into staying in the Union.




Meanwhile, the South was forming their government. They chose Jefferson Davis as president and named their new nation the Confederate States of America.

Things reached a climax at Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Even though South Carolina had succeeded, the fort was still controlled by the United States.

Jefferson Davis had to decide what to do, so he chose to attack.



On April 12, Confederates fired on Fort Sumter, the American Civil War had begun.