What significant event sparked the start of the Civil War in South Carolina?

The event that marked the beginning of the Civil War in South Carolina was the attack on Fort Sumter. This fort, located in Charleston Harbor, was a strategic stronghold for the Union. In April 1861, after South Carolina seceded from the Union, Confederate forces opened fire on Fort Sumter, initiating the first battle of the Civil War. This decision to engage in armed conflict was significant because it represented a clear escalation in the tensions between the North and South over issues such as states' rights and slavery.

The other events listed, while important in the broader context of the Civil War, occur at different stages or pertain to other aspects of the conflict. The Battle of Gettysburg was a major turning point later in the war, while the Emancipation Proclamation was issued to free enslaved people in the Confederacy but came after the war had begun. The Dred Scott decision was a Supreme Court ruling that heightened sectional tensions but did not directly trigger the war. Therefore, the attack on Fort Sumter is recognized as the definitive starting point of the Civil War.