In 1861, Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to save a crumbling Union
After the smoke cleared at Fort Sumter, Abraham Lincoln realized the United States was at a breaking point and issued a desperate plea for 75,000 troops to defend the nation's capital.
On April 15, 1861, just three days after the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter, President Abraham Lincoln officially declared that an 'insurrection' existed. He called for 75,000 volunteers to serve for 90 days, believing the conflict would be brief. This proclamation forced every state to choose a side, causing four more Southern states to secede and join the Confederacy.
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