Question

In response to secession, President Buchanan: said he supported it. declared martial law. abandoned Fort Sumter. did practically nothing. let Lincoln take office ahead of schedule.

Answer 1

President Buchanan attempted to reinforce Fort Sumter but did practically nothing decisive as tensions escalated, leading to the beginning of the American Civil War soon after Lincoln took office.

Step-by-step explanation:

In response to secession, President James Buchanan did not support it, declare martial law, or let Lincoln take office ahead of schedule. President Buchanan made an attempt to send reinforcements to Fort Sumter but in the end, he basically did practically nothing substantial to resolve the mounting crisis. In January, Buchanan sent an unarmed merchant ship, the 'Star of the West', to supply Fort Sumter. However, when the ship was fired upon by the South Carolina militia, it turned around and no further attempt was made to break the impasse. Eventually, this standstill was overtaken by events when, after Lincoln took office, the Confederates demanded the evacuation of Fort Sumter, which Major Anderson refused. Subsequently, Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter marking the beginning of the American Civil War.

Answer 2

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Step-by-step explanation:

President James Buchanan's response to secession was characterized by indecision and a lack of decisive action. He did not actively support secession, but he also did not take strong measures to prevent it or address the crisis effectively. Instead, he took a relatively passive stance, which many historians view as ineffective in the face of mounting tensions between the North and the South.

Buchanan did not declare martial law, abandon Fort Sumter, or take any significant actions to prevent secession. He did not support secession openly, but his inaction and reluctance to use federal authority to maintain the Union contributed to the growing crisis that ultimately led to the Civil War.

Buchanan remained in office until his term ended on March 4, 1861, and Abraham Lincoln assumed the presidency as scheduled, following his election in November 1860. Lincoln inherited a deeply divided nation and had to grapple with the consequences of secession and the outbreak of the Civil War shortly after taking office.