In response to the 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln, a fierce opponent of slavery, as President, the slave-holding states of South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas seceded from the Union and formed their own nation, the Confederate States. They demanded the unconditional withdrawal of all US military forces in their own territory, including Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina--despite the fact that Fort Sumter was owned by the Federal government, not South Carolina or any other state, loyal or Confederate. Rebel forces fired on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, beginning the war.