Abraham Lincoln's position on slavery, particularly during the debates of 1858, was characterized by his opposition to the expansion of slavery into new territories and states. While he believed that slavery should not be allowed to expand, he did not necessarily advocate for immediate abolition in states where it already existed.
Of the options provided:
-
Compromise of 1850 - This was a series of laws intended to settle disputes between slave and free states, including admitting California as a free state and implementing fugitive slave laws. Lincoln did not fully support this compromise, as it allowed for the expansion of slavery in some respects.
-
Wilmot Proviso - This was a proposal to ban slavery in territories acquired from Mexico but was never passed. It aligns with Lincoln's views against the expansion of slavery.
-
Kansas-Nebraska Act - This act created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and allowed for popular sovereignty, which meant the residents of these territories could decide for themselves whether to allow slavery. Lincoln opposed this act because it effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise and allowed slavery to spread.
-
Dred Scott decision - This Supreme Court decision ruled that African Americans could not be considered citizens and that Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in the territories. Lincoln strongly opposed this ruling, seeing it as a severe setback to the efforts to limit slavery's expansion.
Given these points, 2. Wilmot Proviso would best fit with Lincoln's position on slavery because it was a direct attempt to prevent the expansion of slavery into new territories, aligning with his opposition to that expansion.