Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, marking the start of the American Civil War. While not directly involving Black individuals, this event set in motion a conflict that would ultimately lead to the abolition of slavery in the United States. For African Americans—enslaved and free—the war represented both a perilous time and a profound opportunity. Thousands would enlist in the Union Army and fight for their freedom and the future of Black citizenship in America.
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