Question
How would Abraham Lincoln most likely respond to this statement?
The principle of popular sovereignty should always be respected. Every state has the right to choose whether to allow slavery.
A.
The fighting during "Bleeding Kansas" proves that states cannot be trusted to address the issue of slavery themselves.
B.
Slavery is protected by the Constitution even if states want to outlaw it.
C.
The principle of popular sovereignty only applies to the federal government.
D.
Outlawing slavery in one state will lead to slave revolts in all slaveholding states.
The principle of popular sovereignty should always be respected. Every state has the right to choose whether to allow slavery.
A.
The fighting during "Bleeding Kansas" proves that states cannot be trusted to address the issue of slavery themselves.
B.
Slavery is protected by the Constitution even if states want to outlaw it.
C.
The principle of popular sovereignty only applies to the federal government.
D.
Outlawing slavery in one state will lead to slave revolts in all slaveholding states.
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
Abraham Lincoln would most likely respond to the statement with option **A**: "The fighting during 'Bleeding Kansas' proves that states cannot be trusted to address the issue of slavery themselves."
Lincoln believed that the principle of popular sovereignty, while appealing in theory, often led to violence and conflict, as evidenced by the violent strife in Kansas. He was concerned about the consequences of allowing states to determine the legality of slavery independently, especially when it resulted in divisions and bloodshed. Therefore, he might argue that a more consistent and principled approach to national unity and human rights was necessary, rather than leaving such a contentious issue to state-by-state decisions.
Lincoln believed that the principle of popular sovereignty, while appealing in theory, often led to violence and conflict, as evidenced by the violent strife in Kansas. He was concerned about the consequences of allowing states to determine the legality of slavery independently, especially when it resulted in divisions and bloodshed. Therefore, he might argue that a more consistent and principled approach to national unity and human rights was necessary, rather than leaving such a contentious issue to state-by-state decisions.