"When the Civil War began, Fort Sumter was an unfinished building in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina. Over the next three years, this fort would become one of the most important symbols of the Civil War. Now open to the public as a national monument, visitors arrive at the fort by boat from Charleston. Walk over several acres and see many Civil War guns and cannonballs. National Park Service rangers are also on the island to give talks and demonstrations to bring the Civil War and other important facts of American history to life."--Back cover.