Why did Lincoln inform the Confederacy that he would not be sending troops or weapons as food supplies were sent to Fort Sumter?
(1 point)
Responses
to allow the Confederacy to retain full ownership of the fort
to allow the Confederacy to retain full ownership of the fort
to convince the Confederacy he did not intend any military action
to convince the Confederacy he did not intend any military action
to give the Confederacy a false sense of security and then attack
to give the Confederacy a false sense of security and then attack
to inform the Confederacy of his desire to begin open fighting
to convince the Confederacy he did not intend any military action
The correct response is: to convince the Confederacy he did not intend any military action
To understand why Lincoln informed the Confederacy that he would not be sending troops or weapons while food supplies were sent to Fort Sumter, we can look at the historical context.
Fort Sumter was a federal fort located in Charleston, South Carolina. By the time Lincoln became president, several Southern states had already seceded from the Union and formed the Confederacy. The Confederacy desired to take control of all federal forts within its territory, including Fort Sumter.
In an attempt to peacefully resolve the situation, Lincoln notified the Confederacy that he would not be sending any reinforcements or weapons to Fort Sumter. However, he did authorize the delivery of food supplies to the fort, as it was occupied by Union troops who needed provisions.
The purpose of this action was to demonstrate to the Confederacy that Lincoln did not intend to initiate any military action against them. By not sending troops or weapons, Lincoln wanted to avoid provoking the Confederacy into further hostilities. This move was intended to show a willingness to negotiate and find a peaceful solution to the growing tensions between the Union and the Confederacy.
Unfortunately, this gesture did not lead to a peaceful resolution. The Confederacy viewed the food supplies as a violation of their demand for unconditional surrender and decided to respond with force. This eventually led to the start of the American Civil War.