How did secessionists justify their views?

Question

a
through states’ rights
b
through popular sovereignty
c
through federalism
d
through the Constitution

Answer 1

Secessionists primarily justified their views through a. states’ rights. They argued that states had the right to govern themselves and make decisions independently of the federal government, including the decision to secede from the Union. This philosophy was rooted in the belief that the states willingly joined the Union and could therefore choose to leave it.