"The Demon of Unrest": Erik Larson on the first shots of the Civil War

Beginning on April 12, 1861, over the course of two days, more than 3,300 shells and cannon balls rained across Charleston Harbor towards Fort Sumter, the first shots fired in the Civil War. Correspondent Anthony Mason visits the fort with bestselling author Erik Larson, whose latest book, "The Demon of Unrest," explores the events leading up to the bombardment and what Larson calls "the single most consequential day in American history."
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[@rustshoo5068]

I think this whole saga with its so many different characters in the lead-up to war and its outbreak would make a great movie.

[@barbaradougherty334]

This was amazing and gave me chills. We just came home from vacation and we were at Fort Sumter! Worth every penny for the ferry ride and tour if you're a history person!!

[@marytheresejacksonlutz2533]

We loved Fort Sumter and Charleston. I learned so much

[@eleanor5117]

Gave me chills, too. My old hometown! Walked around that battery area many a time as a child and adult. Moved away in my 40’s. Love where I live now, the North Georgia Mountains - but sights from Charleston still tug at this old Charlestonian’s heart!

[@Awakeningspirit20]

I have seen Fort Moultrie many times but never Sumter somehow, though you can easily spot it from Charleston! I have a lot of family in Charleston and we used to go every Christmas, though I guess they just weren't fans of the ferry ride or something. I'll get out there at some point.

[@stan4now]

Or someone who cares for country with liberty, justice and equality for all.

[@SK-lt1so]

It's amazing how far from the shore the fort is when you see it in person.

[@bluekitty3731]

I would recommend watching the conversation between Erik Larson and the flim maker Ken Burns. They both are so compelling when they speak about the lead up to the Civil War and the echoes of people's unrest then and now.

[@rl3293]

His books are fantastic!

[@marianneegland5576]

I agree!!!!

[@starbeck52]

I just finished “The Demon of Unrest”. The book introduces the reader to interesting, and some previously unknown, characters through their letters and diaries and provides information about the political climate during the months leading to the outbreak of the Civil War. An excellent read.

[@marytheresejacksonlutz2533]

This is on my TBR Kindle Library. Looking forward to reading it

[@peterbeth2027]

Just received his book today. So far I think it’s one of his best. I love Erik

[@richardcoe7417]

I just finished the book and I highly recommend it. Great book!

[@djdollase]

Just finished watching a great bio series on Abraham Lincoln on History channel. It spoke of this fort and it’s great significance.

[@lifealiveandliving]

great book and another great piece by CBS

[@ericolsen9819]

He is an outstanding historical fiction author. The Devil in the White City is an amazing read with a ton of fascinating history. One of my favorite books.

[@historybuff66]

Pretty certain Larson is an author of history and not historical fiction.

[@brianmyers4444]

i think you mean historical NON fiction...

[@erichschuh192]

I’m reading it now. It’s a well written book.

[@ianstewart8301]

Anthony is the GOAT!

[@shamammap8054]

Can’t wait to read Mr Larson’s new book.

[@LeeF945]

I learned to ride horses from general beauregards great great granddaughter r, who was my mothers best friend. She died in April 2023

[@acidophilic]

Erik Larson should be required reading in this country - You learn so much from his research about how fragile this Country really is (and how we seem doomed to repeat History)

[@johnphillips1858]

"And our flag was still there"

[@rustshoo5068]

Larson’s pacy book on the beginnings of the Civil War, as seen through the eyes of a range of interesting characters, is a great way to prise teenage boys away from video games and inane social media and get them reading and learning. If there is a Civil War book or any book that can do that.

[@jude999]

Anderson was at Ft. Moultrie when SC seceded. The move of his soldiers to an empty Fort Sumter was perceived as an act of aggression against the South.

[@jeffersonPoesia]

Books have a unique way of immortalizing those who write them and enlightening those who read them./Books are the lighthouses erected in the great sea of ​​time./Books are the mirrors of the soul.

[@Temporal_Assassin]

It is interesting that they fly the flag of the time, rather than today's flag of 50 stars. Not to many parks you can get away with that in.

[@jackpavlik563]

A historic site, seems right to fly the flag of the period.

[@ck1578]

Fort McHenry flies the flag at the time it was attacked - that particular flag became pretty important!

[@Temporal_Assassin]

No, argument here, just interesting.

[@sarapot8873]

He is my absolute favorite author. I’ve read everything he has written. As good as The Devil in the White City was, In the Garden of Beasts was better. The Demon of Unrest was good, but not his best.

[@BlastedKat]

If you want a real shock push all politics aside and dig deep into what the civil war was really about.

[@b.j.robison2972]

I don't need to "dig deep". It was about slavery. Read South Carolina's document declaring secession.

[@BlastedKat]

@@b.j.robison2972 It is much more complicated than that. But you do you boo.

[@anthonyfowler2623]

😢

[@stan4now]

Thank You CBS Sunday Morning and Erik Larson for this wonderful reminder of a terrible time in our nation's history. As we know, history repeats itself when forgotten, or never learned. The Southern secession over states rights and slavery was extreme as it contradicted our Constitution that President Lincoln reminded us of in his epic Gettysburg Address. The Great Task remains. . . .Will his death and countless others who died for our country be in vain? Those so ill at ease for states rights again, who believe they will Make America Great Again, are clamoring again for Civil War. The new movie of the same name emphasizes what we've seen and heard, especially with the attack on our nation's capitol to overturn the election of 2020. But this not because of a restless demon. This is because of man's urge to power over others, even in God's Name. The Lord refused the temptation to have power over anyone that we might also. In treating one another as we all need to be treated, we can coexist. The Golden Rule has always been The Golden Path thru life. Otherwise, we open the door to the Devil, when we could've asked the Lord's help as He prayed to Our Father.

[@myradioon]

The Confederates fired on and turned back a supply ship first that was trying to resupply the Fort.

[@zachtaylor598]

was actually those crazed college kids from The Citadel!

[@TylerD288]

Star of the West

[@your_royal_highness]

600-750k would die during the war, not killed. Disease took the most lives

[@BBean1]

@your_royal_highness: WITHOUT WAR CONDITIONS, THEY PROBABLY WOULD HAVE HAVE CAUGHT THOSE DISEASES... LOL

[@LicardoDeBousee]

Lost Causers: “The Civil War was about State’s Rights!” People with critical thinking skills: “State’s Rights to do WHAT?” Lost Causers: “ WELL… YOU SEE.. THEY.. 😡🤬”

[@zpy-nq7wv]

DEO VINDICE.

[@BBean1]

CONFEDERACY IS 0-1 & WILL BE 0-2.

[@jakeruffin9433]

Why do you people hate the thought of the south wanting to be its own nation? I dont understand? Most of you hate the south but want us to not leave ?

[@BBean1]

@@jakeruffin9433 If you want your own country, LEAVE THE USA AND START IT SOMEWHERE ELSE!

[@jakeruffin9433]

@BBean1 so with that logic, we should still be under brittish control . You're a smart one.

[@BBean1]

@@jakeruffin9433 JUST LEAVE! BYE!

[@mis-wf9hw]

If there truly are those in the south that want to leave I think they should secede. Before those states leave they should pay the US government back for the support the blue states have given them. The red southern states have been living off the taxes of blue state residents for too long.

[@SimCityEA1989]

That is the worst cannon sound effects I've ever heard of... At least give us the immersion of it-

[@dondon6655]

America today seems to be repeating history. God knows if we will save the country.

[@bryanhiland8972]

A book about how the republicans freed the slaves from the democrats

[@b.j.robison2972]

Anyone who thinks we are as divided now as we were in 1860 have no clue about history. Hell, we were way more divided in 1970 than we are now.

[@stan4now]

Please Google historians warning of Civil War and see the new movie of the same name. Charlottesville and the attack on our nation's capitol to overturn the election of 2020 far exceed the student protests of the late 60's and early 70's over Vietnam and Watergate FPOTUS45 is predicting bloodshed if he's not elected in November. This is no idle threat. The Pentagon is warning and preparing for it.

[@jrm2383]

I’ve read most of his books, and thought they were all very good. Unfortunately, one chapter into this book, I had to read a comparison of January 6 to the civil war, which is ridiculous! Not to mention the capitalization of the word black, but not white. Why do high profile people inject their politics and turn off half of their audience?

[@rustshoo5068]

I think the Jan 6 storming of the Capitol was the Confederacy in microcosm in terms of the delusions of invincibility and superiority the rioters had had. The capitalisation of black and not white is in my opinion a very snooty and silly way to demean melanin-challenged people like me. It’s probably a publisher’s stipulation put upon all authors these days.

[@FrankBurnsie]

The Union major in charge of the fort looks to be about 20 years older than what I’d expect a major to be, and the Confidante general looks to be about 20 years younger than the average general. What a topsy turvy world the American Revolution was.

[@keithputnam8911]

#school 😂

[@ns281]

KZbin USUALLY CENSORS MY COMMENTS KZbin USUALLY CENSORS MY COMMENTS

[@jjj1951]

You must give them good reason

[@DVu-ki7nn]

No Shogun ??? Neh😎.

[@marksamuelcohen]

SPOILER ALERT AHEAD: The North won

[@GeraldYniguez]

Feeling all warm and fuzzy Yankee's

[@treborretsnom6186]

🇺🇲🫡

[@matstarcher7630]

Would have been fired from or WAS fired from..

[@1JamesMayToGoPlease]

As tragic and brutal as that war was, it *had to happen!*

[@Uliseslima-kr9op]

The losers of the civil war

[@aw1078]

Those were the MAGA days.

[@TylerD288]

Their "Golden Age", never to return. 😅

[@MediocreMedic123]

Northern aggression

[@greglamm5986]

Lost cause myth

[@thisguy73]

As Donald Trumpf said, Gettysburg was "beautiful"

[@ECMann-dr1sb]

5:21 Is clearly an AI generated imagine. Correct me if I’m wrong but I’m certain. Is Sunday morning really getting this lazy?

[@eleanor5117]

If you’re talking about the picture of the battlefield dead, search for: “A Harvest of Death is the title of a photograph taken by Timothy H. O'Sullivan, sometime between July 4 and 7, 1863. It shows the bodies of soldiers killed at the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War, stretched out over part of the battlefield.” A real photograph taken during the civil war by Timothy H. O’Sullivan, not AI generated.

[@eleanor5117]

I’m old. I’ve seen this picture in historical books about the civil war long before the internet, long before AI. It might look surreal because of the stiffness of the bodies. They were there for a while before the pictures were taken. Rigor had set in.

[@myradioon]

Dude 51,000 men died at the Battle Of Gettysburg where that picture was taken. More deaths in one battle than in some entire wars

[@ns281]

KZbin USUALLY CENSORS MY COMMENTS KZbin USUALLY CENSORS MY COMMENTS

[@ns281]

KZbin USUALLY CENSORS MY COMMENTS KZbin USUALLY CENSORS MY COMMENTS

[@BlownMacTruck]

If you would stop tripping the auto delete algorithm by not using incendiary words, your comments would stay.