Final answer:
The Confederate States claimed to follow the principles of self-determination from the Declaration of Independence, advocating for states' rights and attempting to form a new nation based on the consent of the governed. The correct answer is option b.
Step-by-step explanation:
In declaring their independence, the Confederate States asserted that they were following the historical example of the principles of self-determination of the Declaration of Independence. This assertion is based on the view that just as the American colonists sought to create a new nation based on the consent of the governed and to exercise their right to self-determination, the Confederate States believed they had the legal right to secede in order to defend the liberty that their ancestors fought for during the American Revolution.
The Confederate States championed the idea of states' rights, emphasizing that the federal government should not infringe on their rights, including property rights, which, in the context of the secession, related heavily to the institution of slavery. The Confederate States drew inspiration from the Declaration of Independence and its emphasis on government deriving its powers from the consent of the governed, ultimately leading to their attempt at forming a new nation where they could maintain their way of life, including the practice of slavery.