• Currier & Ives lithograph depicting the bombardment of Fort Sumter

    Fort Sumter

    National Monument South Carolina

Where the American Civil War Began

Decades of growing strife between North and South erupted in civil war on April 12, 1861, when Confederate artillery opened fire on this Federal fort in Charleston Harbor. Fort Sumter surrendered 34 hours later. Union forces would try for nearly four years to take it back.

Features

  • Ranger in Civil War uniform.

    Visit Fort Sumter

    Learn more about visiting Fort Sumter by ferry or with your own boat.

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  • Interior of Fort Moultrie with an 18th-century cannon and an 1809 U.S. flag.

    Visit Fort Moultrie

    Experience 171 years of American seacoast defense. Take a tour of Fort Moultrie's history from the American Revolution through World War II.

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  • NPS social media logo

    Follow Us

    We use several Social Media sites to reach out to our visitors and continue the conversation.

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  • The visitor center at Charles Pinckney NHS is a historic farmhouse.

    Visit Charles Pinckney NHS

    Visit nearby Charles Pinckney National Historic Site.

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Did You Know?

15-inch Rodman cannons at Fort Moultrie

Fort Sumter National Monument has one of the best collections of 19th century seacoast artillery anywhere in the United States. Fort Sumter National Monument, SC