How did the southern states justify their secession from the Union? What comparison to the American Revolution did they make? Why?

Answer 1

The southern states justified their secession from the Union by invoking the principle of states' rights and arguing that the federal government was infringing upon their sovereignty. They believed that each state had the right to determine its own laws and policies, including the institution of slavery, without interference from the central government.

In making a comparison to the American Revolution, the southern states argued that their secession was similar to the colonies' break from Great Britain. They claimed that just as the colonists had seceded from British rule in order to assert their independence and self-governance, so too were they seceding from the Union to preserve their rights and autonomy. Additionally, they pointed to the Declaration of Independence as a precedent for their actions, asserting that they had the right to dissolve their political ties with the Union if their rights were being violated.