Question

1. PART A: Which TWO of the following best

identify the central ideas of this text?
A. The South seceded because it feared that
Lincoln would abolish slavery.
B. South Carolina seceded because southern
states felt Lincoln had not won the
southern election and was not their true
leader.
C. The South seceded because South Carolina
was crucial to the slave economy and
without its support, other southern states
would fail economically.
D. Lincoln successfully baited South Carolina
into being the first to lead an offensive
military attack.

Answer 1

The reasons for secession by the southern states centered on fears of abolition and lack of representation, with South Carolina leading due to fears over slavery and states' rights after Lincoln's election.

Step-by-step explanation:

The central ideas of the text revolve around the reasons for secession by the southern states and the initiation of the Civil War. Based on the provided information, the two best options that identify the central ideas of this text are:

• The South seceded because it feared that Lincoln would abolish slavery (Option A).
• South Carolina seceded because the southern states felt Lincoln had not won the southern election and was not their true leader (Option B).

The fear of the abolition of slavery was widespread in the South after the election of Abraham Lincoln, who did not carry a single southern state in the Electoral College. Furthermore, South Carolina seceded quickly after Lincoln's victory, and its 'Declaration of the Immediate Causes' cited the federal government's failure to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act against states with personal liberty laws. South Carolina's pivotal role in the slave economy and the idea of defending states' rights were integral to their decision to secede.