What event triggered the start of the American Civil War?

The Civil War began with the battle for Fort Sumter. This is a small fortification near the city of Charleston. In early 1861, Confederate (South) forces occupied a number of federal forts in the southern states, displacing federal forces. On April 12, after lengthy negotiations, the siege of Fort Sumter began. As a result, the fort was occupied by the southerners, no one was killed during the skirmish. However, this was a formal reason for the conflict.