Question

President james buchanan declined to use force to keep the seven southern secessionist states in the union for all of the following reasons except

A. northern public opinion would not support it.
B. the army was needed to control indians in the west.
C. he believed that the constitution required congressional approval of the use of force.
D. a slim chance of reconciliation remained.
E. he was surrounded by prosouthern advisers who had advised him not use military force against the southern states threatening to secede from the union.

Answer 1

President Buchanan declined to use force against seceding states for several reasons, but the assertion that he was surrounded by prosouthern advisers advising against military force is not one of them (option E).

Step-by-step explanation:

President James Buchanan declined to use force to keep the seven southern secessionist states in the Union for all the following reasons except:

• Northern public opinion would not support it.
  
  
• The army was needed to control Indians in the West.
  
  
• He believed that the Constitution required congressional approval of the use of force.
  
  
  
• A slim chance of reconciliation remained.
  
  

The reason not listed is that President Buchanan was surrounded by prosouthern advisers who had advised him not to use military force against the southern states threatening to secede from the Union. This is not a stated reason for his decision to not use force.


This period was fraught with division and challenges such as the Dred Scott decision, and varied opinions on states' rights versus federal authority that further complicated the context in which Buchanan was making his decisions.