Cross the waters of Charleston Harbor and stand in the spot where the nation was torn apart at Fort Sumter. On April 12, 1861, Fort Sumter was the site of the first battle of the Civil War, marking an event that would forever change the country. As Federal troops occupied and held the fort, Confederate forces took nearby
Fort Moultrie - originally built to compliment mighty Fort Sumter - and fired across the harbor at the troops.
Visitors today can explore the historic site via two ferry departure sites, including the Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center. Interpretive exhibits will help paint the picture of American life during the mid-19th century and explaining the events that led to the bloody war. Nowhere else in the country can you explore a site that sparked the events that would all but demolish the American countryside and tear her people apart in bloody battle for years.
