TExES Social Studies Content Practice Exam 2026 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

The attack on Fort Sumter is recognized as the event that marked the beginning of the American Civil War because it was the first significant act of military aggression in the conflict. On April 12, 1861, Confederate forces fired upon the Union-held Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. This assault was a culmination of growing tensions between the Northern states and Southern states that had seceded from the Union, primarily over issues such as states' rights and slavery.

The fall of Fort Sumter led President Abraham Lincoln to call for troops to suppress the rebellion, effectively mobilizing the North for war. This incident symbolized the breaking point in the relationship between the two regions and heralded the start of a conflict that would last for four years, resulting in significant social, economic, and political changes in the United States.

In contrast, the Battle of Gettysburg occurred later in the war and was a pivotal turning point but did not initiate the conflict. The Emancipation Proclamation was a landmark document issued during the war that changed the status of enslaved people in the Confederate states but came after the war had already begun. The Signing of the Constitution, while a foundational moment in American history, is unrelated to the civil tensions that ultimately led