Question

Jefferson Davis argued in his inaugural speech that the southern states had the right to secede from the Union and govern themselves. What evidence did he use to support his argument? Give at least two examples from his speech.

Answer 1

1. He quoted the Declaration of Independence of 1776 which states that governments can only operate on the consent of the governed. Also the governed have the right to abolish any government that became destructive of its ends.

2. He also quoted the Bill of Rights of 1789 which gives the people the power to resume the role of government when their desires are not met.

Step-by-step explanation:

Jefferson Davis in his inaugural address of 1861 gave reasons why the Southern states had to secede from the North. They were an agricultural state that relied on the labor provided by the black states to thrive.

He referred to the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights as giving the citizens the power to resist any government that did not yield to their will. He believed that they were justified in forming their own confederacy and fighting a war if it got to that extent.