April 1861 | Civil War Grand Theater: Fort Sumter, Baltimore riot, Virginia secedes, Norfolk naval

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April 1861. Abraham Lincoln has been the president for just a month.
Fort Sumter off Charleston, South Carolina and Fort Pickens off Pensacola, Florida are besieged.
On April 12, General Beauregard begins the bombardment of Fort Sumter. Major Anderson is out of supply. Major Anderson agrees to evacuate Fort Sumter.
Abraham Lincoln responds. Lincoln calls for 75,000 volunteers. He establishes a naval blockade against the cotton south.
Volunteers are reporting to Washington to protect the capital city. The 6th Massachusetts is attacked while transferring trains in Baltimore, Maryland. A mob attacks the Union soldiers. The first Union soldiers are killed in action here.
Pro-Confederate mobs destroy the rail line north of Baltimore, and Washington's telegraph cables are cut.
Virginia secedes, becoming the first state in the upper south to leave the union. There are fears that Maryland will follow, and the capital will be lost.
Norfolk's naval yard is captured by rebels under General Taliaferro after the US scuttled many ships there. Thomas Jackson takes Harpers Ferry, but the United States was able to destroy the arsenal before the rebels arrived.
However, Maryland rejects secession.
Benjamin Butler lands Union soldiers at Annapolis, Maryland, and he begins to reestablish communications for the capital.
The Civil War is now underway.
A short film by Jeffrey Meyer.

[@snapmalloy5556]

If I were a U.S. history teacher, Jeffrey the Librarian would be a part of my curriculum. Well done again

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thank you, friend!

[@MrJorgitogrande]

I really like this series for the feeling of a slow but accelerating descent into war. Small actions have big consequences

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

It is quite ominous how it all unraveled.

[@zacharyb5701]

These videos are absolutely perfect. The pacing and simple visuals are excellent. Honestly, an entire series breaking down the Civil War like this would be incredible. Thanks for making these.

[@the_christopher]

The not-so-kinetic aspects of military history are fascinating, and oft overlooked. Your channel has been one of the few that I've toggled the bell icon for. Your presentation skills, and the depth/detail you offer on the topics is really refreshing. Context matters a lot, and you always frame things within a larger picture. All that is to say, really like your stuff - even at 12 AM in the morning.

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thank you! I find the contextual details--who was where, etc.--makes the bigger picture make sense. Thank you for watching.

[@pinoydataanalyst1705]

Neat. Keep it up. Continue month to month coverage of the US civil war. Congrats to your channel for the good series.

[@Chris-ut6eq]

Nicely done. We have hindsight to help us second guess history, but in the moments these events unfold the people know only very few snippets of information. This helps give context to the unfolding events. I find your narration pace perfect to allow me time to consider what's happening as you reveal each big event. Some names are familiar and others not. I had no idea Washington was out of communication for this long.

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Yes, I found the telegraph sabotage one of the more ominous elements for this month. Cutting telegraph lines is the 19th century version of knocking out email servers.

[@Chris-ut6eq]

@@JeffreytheLibrarian Perhaps I'm older, but i see this as all phone lines down, or today meaning cell phones and internet connections down for a week or two. in 1860s, it would be like having to rely on a paul reverse but updated too "...the confederates are coming, the confederates are coming" Looking forward to the next installment. I keep thinking, what did Lincoln walk into....

[@automaticmattywhack1470]

Keep em coming. Thanks!

[@Michael-iw3ek]

What a cool video! Love it how you zoom in and out on the map. Kudos for not putting any stupid background music in it!

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thank you!

[@robbieg416]

This video was wonderfully done. And thank you for pronouncing Taliaferro correctly.

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

I appreciate it. I looked up how to pronounce that name during the Fredericksburg video because I knew it was going it be unique.

[@matthewsilva8617]

Great stuff, as usual! Love the maps and how you just deal in facts, no feelings/opinions. Keep up the great work amigo!

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thank you for watching!

[@ah1785]

You've got such a great style of video/presentation/explanation. I'm wondering if any other youtube channels were your inspiration or how did you develop your style? I love your Civil War material. The battles are great but this grand theater was absolutely amazing as well. Love your stuff! Keep up the good work!

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thank you! I appreciate it. More to come!

[@marjus89]

Yes sir another video from the man, Jeffrey the Librarian! Bookmarked for watching tomorrow with my morning coffee. 😎

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thank you for watching!

[@moach57]

Well done! Im too tired to add a fun fact but i look forward to you continuing this series!!!

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thank you! I was determined to get the video out that night.

[@maryellenmeyer2702]

Excellent description of the moving parts that led to the civil war in 1861

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thank you!

[@sebastienhardinger4149]

Great stuff. You may have understated a *bit* how incompetent the Union was at Harper's Ferry and Norfolk, especially Norfolk

[@tikimandude112]

Such good explanations!!! Thank you!

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thanks for watching!

[@crippledcrow2384]

Finally, an objective, truthful look at the War. We usually get the accounts of the war with facts left out and unmentioned that favor the Confederate side of the story. Thank you.

[@llano5581]

It was a very one sided presentation of facts but a good quality video as usual.

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thank you, friend!

[@channelname1700]

Best channel on KZbin!

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thank you!

[@Gunsing5]

Appreciate your insightful content good sir. Wish I had some of these videos while taking a history class at my community college

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thank you! The history class opens the door for lifelong learning.

[@richjg3049]

Great video! Thank you

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thanks for watching!

[@robrussell5329]

Apparently, the Virginia leaders were worried about the vote, being aware of the non-slave needs in the western counties (mountainous and non cotton or tobacco producing...)

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Yes, I have read that several members of the convention who were going to vote against secession were essentially intimidated to stay away from the convention on the voting day. There was enough loyalty in Virginia that the mountain portion remained in the USA.

[@shorewall]

@@JeffreytheLibrarian West Virginia!

[@Jesse-cx4si]

Nice work, JtL!

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thank you!

[@robrussell5329]

To me, the saddest character of the war (other than those who died), is Robert E. Lee, a man held in high esteem for honor and integrity. He quit his beloved military and fought against it for two causes (slavery and secession) that he hardly believed in. His military capabilities helped prolong the war by two years and cause a quarter million more combat deaths. All this must have stayed with him for the remainder of his life. His post war photos show the face of a man carrying the weight of his immense mistake.

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

My dad got me a Robert E. Lee biography, and I am curious about this myself. I have heard a story that after the war, he was very compliant that the Confederacy had been defeated and folks needed to be loyal to the United States again.

[@briannewman6216]

The naval blockade of the South was when the Rubicon was crossed.

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Yes, the blockade showed that the North meant business.

[@Civilwarman40]

Great video again I don't know what to say I just wanna give u a comment helps the algorithm lol

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Much appreciated!

[@johnnymitchell7004]

Could you do Shermans 37 day march to sSavannah !!!

[@burrellbikes4969]

I do sometimes wonder how things would have turned out if the Confederacy had kept Montgomery, Al as the capital. Or maybe Atlanta, Ga as a more centralized location. I’m only speaking about the huge numbers of men and material that were focused around Richmond. I have to assume the armies in Virginia wouldn’t have been SO large and those troops spread out some more on other fronts. I have to imagine that the North still executes the basics of the “Anaconda Plan”. It’s just interesting to think about how the strategy would have been changed overall.

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

I've wondered that too. Virginia, though, I think is what gave the Confederacy the population and industry to have a chance. Also, Virginia's proximity to Washington put pressure on the North. I think Montgomery, though farther south than Richmond, might have been much more vulnerable. Think how fast Grant accessed the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers. Union gunboats are running down into Florence, Alabama in early 1862. The western rivers made transport faster.

[@jaywinters2483]

Whole Lotta Shakin Goin on in the Barn, as Jerry Lee Lewis sang.

[@marjus89]

After having watched your December 1860/January 1861 video, and now this, if one did not know the outcome of the US Civil War, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Confederate states would have won. It’s a bit surprising how quickly these states and secession groups/officials seized the initiative and in a few short months had seceded and consolidated the southern states into the Confederacy. The Union and north were on the back foot and reeling/reactive. No wonder it took so long and so much blood and treasure for this conflict to end and for the North to ultimately prevail.

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

That's a great point. I was just thinking about this recently myself. On the one hand, it took 4 years for the Union to gain victory, which is a long time at a horrible cost. On the other hand, compared to other conflicts, in many ways, the US made significant progress, especially in the west, and the fact they could defeat a large rebellion over a giant portion of a continent is actually amazing.

[@marjus89]

@@JeffreytheLibrarian It really is, have you done videos on the industrial production of the North vs the South? Was that the turning point, or was it manpower, finances etc. In many ways a bitter war of attrition. Also thanks again for your incredible videos and knowledge/engagement.

[@russellgover8899]

You forgot to express how Maryland was coerced by artillery and martial law. Of course Md was nudged.

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

The same sort of thing happened in Virginia's convention, so we'll call it even.

[@russellgover8899]

@@JeffreytheLibrarian Agreed.