Hello, Today I will be leaving the hotel, located in 97 Wallace Rd, Nashville, TN, and traveling to The Fort Sumter National Monument locate in South Carolina. I have just left my hotel and I am on my way to MAPCO mart, to feed my car some fuel. I am Just 12 minutes away from the mart located in 4190 Nolensville Rd. I just arrived to the mart, and the total cost of my full tank was $63. This trip is 8 hours and 8 minutes long. I just got to Atlanta, Georgia, I have 4 hours and 40 minutes till my destination. I have just arrived to Liberty Square located in SC, where I will be getting on my tour boat. There are two departure locations at Liberty Square (340 Concord St., Charleston) and Patriots Point (40 Patriots Point Rd., Mount Pleasant). Each tour lasts approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes. Since "i'm good at planning ahead, and don't procrastinate at all, and definitely get things done in the moment," I purchased my ticket online days prior to my trip. The cost of my ticket to ride on the ferry was $22. My boat will departure at 11:00am, and will be back by 2:30pm. I just got on my ferry. We are on our way to Fort Sumter. Fort Sumter is a sea fort in Charleston, South Carolina, notable for two battles of the American Civil War. We just arrived to Fort S. and it is so amazing here, everything is so interesting. The Battle of Fort Sumter (April 12–13, 1861) was the bombardment of Fort Sumter near Charleston, South Carolina by the Confederate States Army, and the return gunfire and subsequent surrender by the United States Army that started the American Civil War. Following declarations of secession by seven Southern states, South Carolina demanded that the U.S. Army abandon its facilities in Charleston Harbor. On December 26, 1860, Major Robert Anderson of the U.S. Army surreptitiously moved his small command from the vulnerable Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island to Fort Sumter, a substantial fortress built on an island controlling the entrance of Charleston Harbor. An attempt by U.S. President James Buchanan to reinforce and resupply Anderson using the unarmed merchant ship Star of the West failed when it was fired upon by shore batteries on January 9, 1861. South Carolina authorities then seized all Federal property in the Charleston area except for Fort Sumter. During the early months of 1861, the situation around Fort Sumter increasingly began to resemble a siege. The resupply of Fort Sumter became the first crisis of the administration of the newly inaugurated U.S. President Abraham Lincoln following his victory in the election of November 6, 1860. Following the battle, there was widespread support from both North and South for further military action. Lincoln's immediate call for 75,000 volunteers to suppress the rebellion resulted in an additional four southern states also declaring their secession and joining the Confederacy. The battle is usually recognized as the first battle that opened the American Civil War. Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center Exhibit tough me that When the Civil War finally exploded in Charleston Harbor, it was the result of a half-century of growing sectionalism. Escalating crises over property rights, human rights, states rights and constitutional rights divided the country as it expanded westward. On the way back I stopped at Patriots point (USS Yorktown). USS Yorktown is one of 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers built during World War II for the United States Navy. She is named after the Battle of Yorktown of the American Revolutionary War, and is the fourth U.S. Navy ship to bear the name. African Passages Museum Exhibit taught me that the National Park Service as we dedicate African Passages, a newly installed museum exhibit at the Fort Moultrie Visitor Center on Sunday afternoon, March 22. The event takes place at 3:00 pm on the grounds of the park at 1214 Middle Street on Sullivan’s Island. The new exhibit examines the role of Sullivan’s Island as a quarantine station during the international slave trade when Charleston was the main port of entry for captive Africans in North America. Historians estimate that slave ships brought 200,000 to 360,000 men, women and children into Charleston’s harbor. Between 1707 and 1799, when arriving ships carried infectious diseases, their free or enslaved passengers were quarantined either aboard ship or in island "pest houses." This painful history makes Sullivan’s Island a gateway through which many African Americans can trace their entry into America. The exhibit includes the haunting Middle Passage charcoal works of Thomas Feelings and the exuberant Gullah art of Jonathan Green. "This is a story of national and international significance that is central to the birth and growth of the United States," stated Superintendent Bob Dodson. "It is a powerful story of strength and endurance that will touch people on a personal level. I am very grateful for the grass roots support of this long awaited exhibit. The Charleston community has been looking forward to the completion of this project for some time now. The exhibit builds on the commemorative marker installed in 1999 and Toni Morrison’s Bench by the Road placed on park grounds in 2008. I hope for a good turnout at the dedication, when we will honor the ancestors and the survivors of this difficult step in the American journey." I am back to where I started, in (340 Concord St., Charleston). Now I will be headed to my hotel, which is 20 minutes away from my location. I just arrived to Days Inn located at 155 Meeting st, and the price for a room is $85. I am all settled in, and ready to get some rest for tomorrow's eventful day. Stay tuned for the ninth journey.