While some historians may argue that President Lincoln caused the Civil War by overreacting at Fort Sumter, the historical facts and context of the event indicate Lincoln was not to blame. Lincoln did not seek violence, but rather believed that secession would be short-lived. His options he was presented with did not advocate for violence either but rather gave him a myriad of options regarding whether or not to retain Fort Sumter. Lincoln's humanitarian choice to resupply Fort Sumter as opposed to letting it succumb to starvation was rational and did not pose anymore of a threat to the Confederacy. The firing on Fort Sumter was not necessary as the Confederacy could have simply maintained a blockade of the fort forcing it into eventual surrender as a result of hunger. Due to the firing on Fort Sumter by the Confederacy, Lincoln responded by raising an army to put down the rebellion by force, which was not an option he had preferred. The raising of this army led to the secession of more states demonstrating the willingness of much of the South to use force against the Union as opposed to seeking neutrality or a negotiated settlement. Thus, Lincoln cannot be seen as responsible as it was the South's actions that changed the course of action Lincoln took.
