Which event marked the beginning of the Civil War?

The event that marked the beginning of the Civil War was the Attack on Fort Sumter. This confrontation occurred on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces fired on the federal garrison stationed at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The attack was a response to the decision by the U.S. government to resupply the fort, which was a symbol of federal authority in the South. The bombardment lasted for about 34 hours and ultimately led to the surrender of the fort, signaling the start of hostilities between the North and South.

The significance of this event lies in the fact that it was the first active military engagement of the Civil War, leading to a full-scale conflict as more states seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy in the following weeks. The fighting at Fort Sumter galvanized public opinion on both sides and marked the official start of a war that would reshape the nation.

In contrast, the Battle of Gettysburg occurred later in the war and was a pivotal turning point, while the signing of the Treaty of Paris pertains to a completely different historical context—the American Revolutionary War. The assassination of Abraham Lincoln took place after the Civil War had concluded and was a shocking event in American history but not related