Where was the first battle of the Civil War fought?

The first battle of the Civil War was fought at Fort Sumter, which is located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. This conflict began on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces opened fire on the fort, which was held by Union troops. The Union's surrender of Fort Sumter marked the official start of hostilities between the North and South.

Understanding this historical context is crucial as it set the stage for the entire Civil War, highlighting the tensions between states' rights and federal authority, as well as the contentious issue of slavery. Fort Sumter's significance is not only in its military engagement but also in its symbolic representation of the divided nation at the outset of a conflict that would shape the United States for generations.

In contrast, the other options—Gettysburg, Antietam, and Shiloh—represent key battles that occurred later in the war, each with their own significant impacts and outcomes, but none were the initiation point of the war itself.