How did fort Sumter impact the civil war

It started there.

Amidst the growing turmoil leading up to the war, Federal troops moved from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter because it was much better fortified and easier to defend from confederate resistance. The newly established Confederate nation saw this as an an act of war. General Beauregard was ordered to expel the Federal troops from Fort Sumter. He attemted to do so without hostility for a good while. When the federal troops refused to leave, General Beauregard advised them that he would be forced to fire on Fort Sumter. Shortly thereafter, Confederate troops began a systematic artillery attack on the fort which lasted for almost 2 days. Federal troops conceded defeat with not one casualty on either side other than one soldier who was killed in an accident. Federal troops were allowed to leave safely and keep their flags. Confederate troops then occupied Fort Sumter and were able to retain control of the fort thru thru the rest of the war despite many brutal Federal attacks.