South Carolina was home to Fort Sumter, the fort in the harbor at Charleston which was fired upon by Confederates in April 1861, triggering the Civil War. Secessionist tendencies had long simmered in the state, going back to the days of John C. Calhoun and his calls for "nullification."
South Carolina Was a Hotbed of Secessionist Fever
After the election of Abraham Lincoln, who was known to be opposed to slavery, South Carolina called a state convention which voted, on December 20, 1860, to secede from the Union. South Carolina was thus the first state to secede from the Union.
The secessionist movement intensified and other states followed South Carolina's lead and also took action to leave the Union. In Charleston, the federal garrison moved to Fort Sumter, which was considered a relatively safe position for U.S. troops stationed in territory which was becoming increasingly hostile.
On April 12, 1861, cannon of the new Confederate government began shelling Fort Sumter, beginning the Civil War.
South Carolina's Official Civil War Sesquicentennial Site
The official home on the web to South Carolina's commemoration of the Civil War Sesquicentennial features a variety of links to historical information.
Historical Sites in South Carolina
The state of South Carolina's official tourism site has a section devoted to "History and Heritage."
The South Carolina State Museum
The South Carolina State Museum has a collection of Civil War exhibits which feature material related to the Union blockade of the coast.
