Fort Sumter

noun

1. a fort in SE South Carolina, in the harbor of Charleston: its bombardment by the Confederates opened the Civil War on April 12, 1861.

Fort Sumter

/ ˈsʌmtə /

noun

1. a fort in SE South Carolina, guarding Charleston Harbour. Its capture by Confederate forces (1861) was the first action of the Civil War

Sumter, Fort

1. A fort at the entrance to the harbor of Charleston , South Carolina ; the location of the first military engagement of the Civil War . In April 1861, several months after South Carolina had declared its secession from the United States, the militia of South Carolina demanded that the commander of the fort surrender. He refused, and the South Carolinians fired on the fort. There were no deaths in the incident. In response, however, President Abraham Lincoln called for volunteers to put down the “insurrection,” and the American Civil War began.

Example Sentences

Predictably, Bezos' defense failed more miserably than the Union Army at Fort Sumter in 1861.

From Salon

The order to blockade Southern ports to prevent the Confederacy from shipping economically vital cotton or importing critical needs was signed April 19, 1861 — one week after secessionist forces fired on Fort Sumter at the entrance to Charleston harbor in South Carolina.

From Seattle Times

It’s more than two years before shots will be fired at Fort Sumter, but secession is already on his mind.

From Slate

The situation is eerily reminiscent of 1861, when Confederates opened fire on Fort Sumter following Union soldiers’ refusal to evacuate, marking the start of the Civil War.

From Slate

The Civil War began with the attack on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, six days after South Carolina seceded.

From Salon