3. Fort Sumter National Monument (South Carolina)
At Fort Sumter National Monument, the first shots of the Civil War rang out in April 1861, igniting a nation-wide conflict. The fort’s battered walls and engaging museum exhibits let visitors experience the tension of those early days. As the symbolic flashpoint of the war, Fort Sumter stands as a powerful reminder of the deep divisions that erupted into open conflict, forever shaping the course of American history.
