Why was Fort Sumter’s location important?
It was near the capital of the Union.
It blocked shipping lan
es in the North.
It served as the base of the Confederacy.
It protected commercial areas in the South.

It served as a base for the Confederates

D. It protected commercial areas of the southern coast.

Explanation:

Following Beauregard's bombardment in 1861, Confederate forces occupied Fort Sumter and used it to marshal a defense of Charleston Harbor. Once it was completed and better armed, Fort Sumter allowed the Confederates to create a valuable hole in the Union blockade of the Atlantic seaboard.