Which historical figure fired the first shot at Fort Sumter, starting the Civil War?

The firing of the first shot at Fort Sumter, which marked the beginning of the Civil War on April 12, 1861, is attributed to General P.G.T. Beauregard. He was in command of the Confederate forces at Charleston, South Carolina, and ordered the bombardment of the fort after it became clear that the Union garrison, commanded by Major Robert Anderson, was determined to hold out despite increasing tensions between the North and the South. This event is significant as it symbolized the official start of military hostilities in the conflict that would engulf the United States for the next four years.

The other historical figures mentioned are not associated with this event in the same way. General Robert E. Lee became a prominent Confederate general later in the war and was not involved in the initial attack on Fort Sumter. Edward Douglas White was a Chief Justice of the United States and not a military figure during the Civil War. Louis Armstrong, although an iconic figure in American music from New Orleans, had no ties to the Civil War in a military context. Thus, General P.G.T. Beauregard stands out as the key figure who initiated the conflict with the shot fired at Fort Sumter.