Why was the battle of Fort Sumter important?

Answer 1

The Battle that forced the surrender of Fort Sumter in April of 1861 was of significant importance for both sides in the conflict that lay ahead. Up until that point, the Confederacy had simply taken over with no conflict various Federal post offices and small garrison of Federal troops. The lack of violence did not whip up in the North any strong desire to now make a fight of what many believed would be a settled situation once cooler heads in the South would prevail. And, President Lincoln became the US president with only a minority of popular votes ( the Electoral College was landslide ). Most Northerners wanted no violence, many had no position on slavery either.

Lincoln realized that to provoke any sort of "battle" might be an error, in fact he said it himself. Earlier before Fort Sumter he stated he had no intent to cause a conflict. He knew however, that as president he would have to protect the Federal properties taken away and halt the rebellion before it became a real rebellion. The impatience of President Jefferson Davis and the anger that was always part of South Carolina ( Since Andrew Jackson ) prevailed and now a major fort was attacked. This aroused the public in the North and in a few months a major civil war was at hand. Thus, the importance of Fort Sumter.

Answer 2

The Battle that forced the surrender of Fort Sumter in April of 1861 was of significant importance for both sides in the conflict that lay ahead. Up until that point, the Confederacy had simply taken over with no conflict various Federal post offices and small garrison of Federal troops. The lack of violence did not whip up in the North any strong desire to now make a fight of what many believed would be a settled situation once cooler heads in the South would prevail. And, President Lincoln became the US president with only a minority of popular votes ( the Electoral College was landslide ). Most Northerners wanted no violence, many had no position on slavery either.

Lincoln realized that to provoke any sort of "battle" might be an error, in fact he said it himself. Earlier before Fort Sumter he stated he had no intent to cause a conflict. He knew however, that as president he would have to protect the Federal properties taken away and halt the rebellion before it became a real rebellion. The impatience of President Jefferson Davis and the anger that was always part of South Carolina ( Since Andrew Jackson ) prevailed and now a major fort was attacked. This aroused the public in the North and in a few months a major civil war was at hand. Thus, the importance of Fort Sumter.

Answer 3

It was the start of the civil war. Disputes actually might have been settled, if President Lincoln didn't reject to that. By forcing the Union soldiers within to surrender, the seige gave the Southerners confidence that they might win a War of Secession, giving them a reason to raise troops. South Carolina wanted to secede from the Union and Fort Sumpter was still occuppied by Federal troops. If these troops remained there, then they could control all traffic that entered/departed the Charleston harbor. BTW, in January 1861, the Union tried to send supplies to Fort Sumter and the ship "Star of the West" was fired upon by a "rebel" battery, causing minor damage and forcing it to return to New York. That was 3 months before the war started.