The Civil War officially began when the South Carolina militia attacked Fort Sumter, the federal garrison in the harbor at Charleston, South Carolina, on April 12, 1861. It was surrendered the next day. Two days after that, President Abraham Lincoln declared a state of “insurrection,” and called for 75,000 volunteers for three months’ service.

Imagine that you are living near Charleston, South Carolina, but have a relative who lives far away in the Oregon Territory. You are one of the 75,000 volunteers that have been called to service. Pretend that email existed during the Civil War and compose an email to your relative telling how you feel about the war and the prospect of fighting against the Confederacy.

Compose an email to your relative that addresses the following questions:

• What were the causes of the Civil War?
• How did the Civil War begin?

Your e-mail should include a salutation and a closing, and it should accurately describe the causes and beginning of the Civil War. All of the information should be well-organized and clearly-written. Before you begin, access the Causes Email Checklist to make sure that you include all of the items required for full credit.

Once finished with your e-mail, please submit your work to the dropbox.