The Northerners were taken by surprise. Tension was high but when the war actually began they didn't believe it was going to begin so easily. When the assault on the first fort began it was an easy win for Confederate forces because nobody knew what to do and everyone was in disarray. This also applied to other early victories in the war. The Southerners however were not prepared because they didn't have a fully constructed government nor the support of foreign powers which made their secession awkward since they didn't know how to govern themselves. They relied on getting independence and then going with the flow and learning along the way. They also didn't have their own money or that much of equipment which had to be procured.
