The Confederate States of America included eleven states:
Arkansas,
Alabama,
Florida,
Georgia,
Louisiana,
Mississippi,
North Carolina,
South Carolina,
Tennessee,
Texas,
Virginia. Charleston Harbor, off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina was an important eastern seaboard in the South. In the middle of the harbor stands Fort Sumter. After South Carolina seceded from the Union, and other southern states followed, they wanted control of federal military installments located in the South, including Fort Sumter. On the night of December 25, 1860, the U.S. Army moved forces to Fort Sumter to secure it for the Union. Confederate forces fired on the fort on April 12, 1861. The bombardment would last for 34 hours and the U.S. Army was driven away by Confederate forces. The Battle of Fort Sumter started the Civil War. Immediately following the battle, Lincoln called for volunteers in the Union to fight, which caused Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee to secede and join the Confederacy. The Civil War would allow Lincoln to be able to abolish slavery and redefine freedom in the United States.