Question

Explain three of the most significant events that led to tension between states' rights and national government authority leading up to the Civil War.

Answer 1

The Dred Scott Decision, the Election of President Abraham Lincoln, and the Emancipation Proclamation were three significant events that led to tension between states' rights and national government authority leading up to the Civil War.

Step-by-step explanation:

Three of the most significant events that led to tension between states' rights and national government authority leading up to the Civil War were:

1. The Dred Scott Decision: The Supreme Court ruling in 1857 stated that the national government lacked the authority to ban slavery in the territories. This decision upheld states' rights over federal authority and intensified the debate over slavery's expansion.
2. The Election of President Abraham Lincoln: Lincoln's election in 1860 led eleven southern states to secede from the United States because they believed he would challenge the institution of slavery. This conflict shifted the focus from preserving the Union to ending slavery.
3. The Emancipation Proclamation: Issued by Lincoln in 1863, it freed all enslaved people in the rebellious states. This action not only further deepened the tension between states' rights and national government authority, but also shifted the balance of power towards the national government.