The months after the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln, between March 4 and May 3, 1861, mark one of the most significant periods in American history. Antagonism between the North and South, which had been intensifying since Lincoln’s election as president in November 1860, only worsened when the president-elect was sworn into office. Lincoln’s Road to War is a day-by-day account unpacking each day’s events, both personal and political, from Lincoln’s inauguration through the attack on Fort Sumter and towards the march to the Battle of Bull Run/Manassas.
- March 4, 1861: In his inauguration address, President Lincoln did his best to be reconciliatory, advising Southern secessionists that there would be no war unless they were the aggressors. But he also made it clear that the Union was indivisible, and that secession meant anarchy.
- April 12, 1861: During the early morning hours, rebel artillery opened fire on Fort Sumter, situated on a man-made island in the entrance to Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. This was immediately followed by President Lincoln’s call for 75,000 volunteers from state militias, along with his order to blockade all Southern ports.