This Day in History: April 12, 1861

One hundred and sixty years ago today, the first battle of the American Civil War began.

Bombardment of Fort Sumter in 1861

One hundred and sixty years ago today, members of the South Carolina militia attacked Fort Sumter, a sea fort situated in Charleston harbor. In December of the previous year, South Carolina had become the first state to secede from the United States. After six more states followed suit, the nascent Confederacy…