On the first day of the Civil War, Fort Sumter fell. The fleet sent by the Northern government to supply the fort could only watch helplessly from a distance.
The next day, President Lincoln ordered the recruitment of 75,000 state militia for 90 days of service to suppress the Southern rebellion.
Clearly, the Northern government had not yet realized the severity of the civil war; they believed that without foreign intervention, they could easily suppress it.
The Southern Government struck first and achieved military victory, but lost the political advantage.
Initially undecided Northern states quickly united under the influence of capitalists manipulating public opinion, with waves of patriotic youths enlisting in the army.
Even Democratic Party leader Stephen Douglas, who was inclined towards the South, now stood with the Northern government's position and vehemently condemned the Southern Government for instigating the civil war.
