The Southern States certainly believe that South Carolina had the right to secede and to govern it own territory. No the bombardment of Fort Sumter did not stir additional states to secede. But up until that time there had been no real test of the southern states committment to forming their new country. Yes, they had formed a Congress and elected a provisional President, but their resolve had not been tested. Up until that time it had all been words.

The Fort Sumter Crisis had been going on for over 3 months and every eye was watching to see what was going to happen in that situation. Other places may have been more important, but Fort Sumter was center stage in the eyes of the world. I think that had South Carolina NOT resisted the reinforcement attempt that such States as Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia would not have seceded, because they would have seen that as South Carolina giving in to Lincoln demands and threats. It was Lincolns stated intent to use force and his call for 75,000 troops that drove those states into the Confederacy.

Would Lincoln have needed to called for those 75,000 troops if Beauregard had allowed Fort Sumter to be reinforced? You contend that there would have been a flashpoint somewhere else that would have triggered the War. But I am contended that no other flashpoint would have had the same "political" impact.