[CodeToad]

“Which they promptly did, at Fort Sumter and soon after formally declared war on the United States.”

Go back and read the hundreds of threads on this topic.

[BroJoeK]

CodeToad: "Go back and read the hundreds of threads on this topic."

I have read virtually all CW threads in the past five years or so.
Regardless of who claims what, there are two irrefutable facts:

1. The Confederate assault on Union troops in the Federal Fort Sumter was an act of war against the United States.
   A modern analogy is the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

2. The Confederate government's formal declaration of war on the United States -- May 6, 1861 -- came before a single Confederate soldier had been killed in battle with any Union force.

The fact is, the choice for war was made by the Confederacy for reasons which we can discuss, if you wish.