Question

In the mid-1800s, which historical figure or group is most likely to have expressed the sentiment: "The real issue at hand is states’ rights. The federal government does not have the power to tell us what we can and cannot do; our voices should matter too"?

A) Abraham Lincoln

B) John C. Calhoun

C) Susan B. Anthony

D) Frederick Douglass

Answer 1

The historical figure most likely to have expressed strong sentiments about states’ rights during the mid-1800s is John C. Calhoun. He was an advocate for the sovereignty of southern states and their right to maintain a slave economy, opposing the idea of a strong federal authority.

Step-by-step explanation:

During the mid-1800s, the sentiment expressed in the statement about states' rights vs. federal authority is most closely associated with John C. Calhoun. Calhoun was a leading political theorist and a staunch defender of the rights of southern states and their way of life, which relied heavily on a slave economy. He advanced the concept of a concurrent majority and opposed federal overreach, arguing for the ability of regions representing a minority in the nation to veto legislation they found hostile. This was diametrically opposed to Abraham Lincoln’s positions, Susan B. Anthony’s focus on women’s rights, and Frederick Douglass’s activism against slavery.

The historical context of the period shows clear divisions between supporters of a strong federal government and those advocating for states' rights. The election of Abraham Lincoln and the subsequent secession of southern states highlighted these divisions, leading to the Civil War. Following the war, the defeat of the Confederacy led to a significant shift in power towards the national government with the imposition of several conditions for readmittance to the Union and the ratification of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments securing civil rights and effectively ending the debate over states’ ability to secede.