TODAY IN HISTORY APRIL 12TH: Civil War Broke Out In US, Over 600 Thousand Were Killed

On April 12, 1861, the American Civil War began as Confederate forces, led by General Pierre G.T. Beauregard, initiated an attack on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. This plunged the country into a major turmoil that caused serious damage including loss of lives.

Meanwhile, 34 hours after the war began, more than 4,000 rounds were fired at the Fort, which made Major Robert Anderson to surrender it on April 13. In response, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation calling for 75,000 volunteer soldiers to suppress the rebellion in the South.

But, what was the main cause of the war?

The root cause of the war lay in the longstanding tensions between the North and South over the issue of slavery. By 1858, the persistent conflict between the Northern and Southern states regarding slavery prompted Southern leaders to contemplate a unified withdrawal from the United States. As the 1860 presidential election approached, the majority of slave states openly warned of secession in the event of a Republican victory, as the Republican Party was known for its anti-slavery stance.

After Lincoln’s victory in the 1860 election, South Carolina led the way in secession moves. On December 20, the South Carolina legislature approved the “Ordinance of Secession,” announcing the dissolution of the Union between South Carolina and other states under the United States of America. Following this declaration, South Carolina immediately began seizing forts, arsenals, and other vital locations within the state.

Less than two months later, five other Southern states (Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana) quickly followed South Carolina’s lead. This led to the formation of the Confederate States of America, with Jefferson Davis of Mississippi elected as its first President. Texas later joined the seceding states.

By Lincoln’s inauguration on March 4, 1861, seven states had seceded from the Union, leaving federal troops with control over only a few strategic outposts in the South. The Civil War lasted for four grueling years, resulting in the defeat of the Confederacy and a devastating death toll of at least 620,000 Union and Confederate soldiers combined.

The Civil War remains a sad period in US history that Americans and many people around the world still remember.