Why did Lincoln inform the Confederacy that he would not be sending troops or weapons as food supplies were sent to Fort Sumter?

Question

1. to allow the Confederacy to retain full ownership of the fort
2. to convince the Confederacy he did not intend any military action
3. to give the Confederacy a false sense of security and then attack
4. to inform the Confederacy of his desire to begin open fighting

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

2. to convince the Confederacy he did not intend any military action

Lincoln aimed to reassure the Confederacy that he was not provoking a conflict by sending troops or weapons to Fort Sumter, instead only sending food supplies. This was an attempt to avoid escalation while maintaining the federal presence in the fort.