Declaration Of Independence Dbq

762 Words4 Pages

The Southern states of the U.S. had always differed from the Northern states. Northern states were more industrial, and Southern states were more centered around agriculture. In any case, differences usually lead to arguments, especially in this case. Eventually, their differences became too great, and the South wanted to secede. The North said it could not do this and that this act was illegal. The North and South bickered whether it had the right to secede or not, and it is still debated to this day. The Southern states did have the right to leave the union as secession was proved to be legal. Texas felt underpowered in federal government according to this quote in Document I, “ By consolidating their strength, they have placed the slave-holding …show more content…

In the Declaration of Independence, it states that if a government becomes destructive, the people have the right to abolish or create a new government altogether. According to this Document F, the Southern states were doing something that is allowed under the Declaration of Independence, “...that, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of people to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new government…” (Document F). The Southern states did not think that the government was serving them properly. All of the states that seceded from the union knew if the U.S. government wasn’t going to serve them properly, why live in bias of Lincoln who was going to abolish their number one source of making income, slaves making cotton. The South seceding from the Union was completely lawful under the Declaration of …show more content…

As it was not made official at the time, the Southern states were not at wrong for seceding from the union. Under the constitution, states had the right to use any power not directly delegated to the government. The act of secession was lawful under Amendment 10. Southern states had no say in a government which they believed was not fit to serve them. They had every right to leave the union and make their own government according to the Declaration of Independence, and if they had no say in government, they had no rights in that country. So the South had no reason to stay. It was lawful for the Southern states to secede and they had the right to do

Open Document