Use the telegram to answer the question. Your response should be a paragraph in length. Summarize events leading up to the outbreak of the Civil War. Why were the events described in the telegram considered an act of war? What steps did President Lincoln take in response?
The telegram describes the attack on Fort Sumter in South Carolina by Confederate forces on April 12, 1861. This attack was considered an act of war because it was the first military engagement of the Civil War. Prior to this, the Confederate States had declared their secession from the United States and had formed their own government. President Lincoln had responded to this secession by sending supplies to the Union-held Fort Sumter, which was located in a Confederate state. The Confederate forces responded by attacking the fort, which was considered an act of war. In response, President Lincoln declared a blockade of the Confederate states and called for 75,000 volunteers to join the Union army. This marked the beginning of the Civil War.
