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Primary sourceDocument15 April 1861

Proclamation 80

Abraham Lincoln · 15 April 1861

Lincoln's April 1861 call for 75,000 militia troops after the attack on Fort Sumter, which opened the Civil War.

The proclamation that triggered the military phase of the Civil War under Lincoln's leadership.

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A printed government proclamation document with the title 'A Proclamation by the President of the United States, April 15, 1861' and formal text below.
Abraham Lincoln, Proclamation 80, 15 April 1861.

About this source

What it is

Proclamation 80 was signed by President Abraham Lincoln on April 15, 1861. It called for 75,000 militiamen to put down the rebellion of the states that had formed the Confederacy.

Why it matters

This proclamation marks the formal start of the Union's military response to secession. It shows Lincoln acting quickly as commander-in-chief right after the attack on Fort Sumter, a decision that helped push more states to secede.

Look closer

  • What does the choice to call for militia, rather than a regular army, tell us about the government's expectations of the war?
  • Why might this document have led more Southern states to leave the Union?
  • What questions does this document leave unanswered about how long Lincoln expected the conflict to last?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Abraham Lincoln on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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