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Fort Sumter

Charleston, South Carolina

Modern Day Fort Sumter
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The fort was named after General Thomas Sumter, a hero of the American Revolution. On April 12, 1861, at 4:30 a.m., Confederate batteries opened fire on the fort, which started the American Civil War.

Fort Sumter was built after the War of 1812 as one of a series of fortifications on the southern U.S. coast. Construction began in 1829, using slave labor, and the structure was unfinished in 1860, when the Civil War began.

Today, Fort Sumter is a popular tourist attraction administered by the U.S. National Park Service.

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Map of the Area Around
Fort Sumter