
Fort Sumter
Clip: Episode 1 | 2m 35sVideo has Closed Captions
At Fort Sumter, a Confederate general fired on his old West Point teacher. The Civil War began.
At 4:30 a.m. on April 12, 1861, Confederate guns opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, and the Civil War began. The Confederate commander, P.G.T. Beauregard, had studied artillery at West Point under the fort's Union commander, Robert Anderson. After 34 hours, a white flag rose over the fort. The bombardment's only casualty was a horse. From Ken Burns's The Civil War.
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Production made possible by grants from General Motors Corporation, National Endowment for the Humanities, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation

Fort Sumter
Clip: Episode 1 | 2m 35sVideo has Closed Captions
At 4:30 a.m. on April 12, 1861, Confederate guns opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, and the Civil War began. The Confederate commander, P.G.T. Beauregard, had studied artillery at West Point under the fort's Union commander, Robert Anderson. After 34 hours, a white flag rose over the fort. The bombardment's only casualty was a horse. From Ken Burns's The Civil War.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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The Civil War | Timeline
Explore a multimedia timeline that is a companion to Ken Burns's acclaimed documentary series, The Civil War. The timeline provides a comprehensive overview of the war, from its political origins to its social and military consequences.Providing Support for PBS.org
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Production made possible by grants from General Motors Corporation, National Endowment for the Humanities, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation




























