This stamp was the first in a new series commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. The First Day of Issue ceremony was held in Charleston, near the site of the historic event. The stamp's design is a reproduction of a circa 1861 lithograph by the famous firm of Currier & Ives, titled "Bombardment of Fort Sumter, Charleston Harbor." The dramatic and colorful image depicts the fort under heavy fire from Confederate batteries. This event, following the secession of South Carolina and other southern states, was the culmination of decades of mounting tensions over issues of slavery and states' rights. The surrender of Fort Sumter to Confederate forces after a 34-hour bombardment marked the beginning of a war that would last four years and fundamentally reshape the nation.