HISET Social Studies Practice

What motivated the secession of the Confederate States from the Union?

1. Desire for independence from foreign rule.

2. Disagreements over tariffs and trade policies.

3. Long-standing disputes over the institution of slavery.

4. A quest for gold and land expansion.

The correct answer is: Long-standing disputes over the institution of slavery.

The correct answer is motivated by long-standing disputes over the institution of slavery. Prior to the Civil War, tensions between the Northern and Southern states grew significantly due to differing views on slavery. The Southern economy relied heavily on agriculture and the labor of enslaved people, which led to a strong defense of slavery as an institution. As abolitionist sentiments grew in the North and legislative measures such as the Compromise of 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the Dred Scott decision intensified the debate, many Southern states felt that their way of life and economic interests were under threat. This culminated in their decision to secede from the Union, which they viewed as a necessary action to protect their rights and maintain their social order. The other options, while they may contain elements relevant to the broader context of the era, do not accurately capture the primary motivation behind secession. Issues like tariffs and trade policies were indeed important but were more often a backdrop to the central conflict over slavery. Similarly, while desires for land expansion were present, they were not the immediate cause of secession. Lastly, the quest for independence from foreign rule does not apply to the context of the United States at that time, as the conflict was between states within