The Path to Civil War (2:25)
The election of Abraham Lincoln was a tipping point on the path to Civil War. In the wake of Southern secession, would the new president defend the U.S. forts in rebel territory?
View transcript
- Decades of argument over slavery and States rights set the scene for the Civil War. The tipping point, the election of Abraham Lincoln as President. - For years, southern slave holders were concerned about the future of their institution. And they pushed very hard against the North, against the country as a whole to ensure that slavery did have a future. When Lincoln was elected in 1860, the South feared that the country now was under the control of someone who was dedicated to the extermination of slavery. And only 6 weeks later, southerners and the State of South Carolina hold a convention, and end up declaring that they are no- no longer part of the union. The coming of the Civil War is a 2 step process. Step 1, the south secedes from the union, that didn't necessarily lead to a war. Step 2, is that Lincoln had to decide to resist secession, forcibly. - After being worn in as President, Lincoln faces a critical decision: Defend US government forts in the South, or turn them over to the seceding states. At the center of this controversy is a fort on an island in South Carolina's Charlestown Harbor, Fort Sumter. Lincoln and his cabinet debate the issue for days. Eventually, Lincoln decides to resupply the garrison at Sumter. The south is determined not to let it happen. Just before dawn on April 12, with the supply ships just outside the harbor, General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard orders a bombardment of the fort. 50 cannons open fire from 4 different batteries. The barrage continues for 34 hours, until Major Robert Anderson, the commander of Fort Sumter eventually surrenders. - When the south fired the first shot at Fort Sumter, and Lincoln decided to resist, then the Civil War was on. - Lincoln issues a call for 75 thousand volunteer soldiers, and the south responds with their own call to arms. The debate is over. War has begun.
Please note: This is an automated transcript and may contain transcription errors.
Related Videos (10)
-
The Path to Civil War
The Path to Civil WarVideo Clip (2:25)
Video Clip (2:25)
The election of Abraham Lincoln was a tipping point on the path to Civil War. In the wake of Southern secession, would the new president defend the U.S. forts in rebel territory?
-
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham LincolnVideo Clip (3:48)
Video Clip (3:48)
Today he is known as one of the greatest American presidents, but at the time of his election no one would have predicted Lincoln's success.
-
America and the Civil War
America and the Civil WarVideo Clip (4:04)
Video Clip (4:04)
Discover how the bloodiest war in American history transformed the face of the nation.
-
After the Emancipation
After the EmancipationVideo Clip (3:30)
Video Clip (3:30)
Four million slaves were formally freed when the Emancipation Proclamation took effect on January 1, 1863, but with the Civil War still raging, their future was far from certain.
-
America Divided
America DividedVideo Clip (3:54)
Video Clip (3:54)
America is at the brink of a Civil War as cotton spreads west and threatens to expand slavery into new territories.
-
The Abolitionist Movement
The Abolitionist MovementVideo Clip (3:26)
Video Clip (3:26)
In the decades before the Civil War, anti-slavery sentiment sparked an abolitionist movement that employed risky and radical tactics to bring an end to slavery.
-
President Grant and an America Divided
President Grant and an America DividedVideo Clip (3:37)
Video Clip (3:37)
As president, Ulysses S. Grant must confront a nation still divided by the issues of the Civil War and Reconstruction.
-
Sherman and the Burning of Atlanta
Sherman and the Burning of AtlantaVideo Clip (1:37)
Video Clip (1:37)
Before setting off on his epic march, General Sherman and his troops set fire to the city of Atlanta.
-
General Sherman Captures Atlanta
General Sherman Captures AtlantaVideo Clip (2:08)
Video Clip (2:08)
General Sherman cuts the rail lines around Atlanta and captures the key Southern city, bolstering public opinion in the North as Lincoln prepares for re-election.
-
Last Stand of the Confederacy
Last Stand of the ConfederacyVideo Clip (3:21)
Video Clip (3:21)
In march of 1865, Confederate forces made a valiant last stand against General Sherman's advancing troops, but were undone by the most unlikely of errors
Related Photo Galleries (9)
-
Faces of the Civil War
Faces of the Civil War(28 Photos)
28 Photos
The Library of Congress recently acquired a rare collection of nearly 700 Civil War-era ambrotype and tintype photographs, donated by the Liljenquist family.
-
Civil War: Union Military Leaders
Civil War: Union Military Leaders(13 Photos)
13 Photos
View images of Union leaders from the Civil War, like Abraham Linoln and Ulysses S. Grant, and learn more about the roles they played in this bloody engagment.
-
Civil War: Confederate Leaders
Civil War: Confederate Leaders(13 Photos)
13 Photos
View images of Confederate leaders from the Civil War, like Robert E Lee and Stonewall Jackson, and learn more about the roles they played protecting the southern states.
-
Civil War: Gettysburg
Civil War: Gettysburg(12 Photos)
12 Photos
Explore the historic Civil War battle of Gettysburg through photographs of the battlefield, the soldiers, and the memorials.
-
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln(19 Photos)
19 Photos
See pictures from the life and presidency of Abraham Lincoln.
-
Civil War: Mathew Brady
Civil War: Mathew Brady(18 Photos)
18 Photos
Photographer Mathew Brady and his associates would create more than 10,000 images of the American Civil War, bringing the harsh realities of war to the American public..
-
Civil War: Artifacts
Civil War: Artifacts(9 Photos)
9 Photos
Explore Civil War artifacts, from medical kits and personal hygiene items, to carbines and currency.
-
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson(14 Photos)
14 Photos
See pictures from the life and presidency of Andrew Johnson.
-
James Buchanan
James Buchanan(10 Photos)
10 Photos
See pictures from the life and presidency of James Buchanan.
Most Popular Videos on History.com
-
History of Valentine's Day
(3:49)
Newest Videos on History.com
-
Vietnam in HD Preview
(2:00)
-
Two For the Road
(1:48)
-
HISTORY says Thanks
(2:47)
Shop HISTORY
-
Lincoln Commemorative & Pictorial Set
Own this collectible LINCOLN COMMEMORATIVE NEWSPAPER and LINCOLN PICTORIAL MAGAZINE.
$32.90
-
Lincoln Bicentennial Collectible
This handsome, historical piece is bound to thrill collectors and history buffs.
$124.99
-
Abraham Lincoln photograph framed with Civil War Eagle Button
This framed photograph of President Abraham Lincoln photographed by Matthew Brady is framed with an authentic excavated American Civil War Eagle Button.
$99.95
Email Updates
Keep up with the latest History shows, online features, special offers and more.
Sign up
