Question

in his capacity as commander in chief, president abraham lincoln
argued it was essential that the laws of the constitution be upheld during the war.
increased the size of the army without the approval of congress.
quickly called on congress to enact a naval blockade of the south.
moved cautiously in asserting his war powers.
waited for congress to declare war before dispatching troops to the south.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: Lincoln took actions that sometimes stretched constitutional limits, so this is incorrect.
• Option 2: As commander - in - chief, Lincoln did increase the army size without Congress's approval at the start of the Civil War to respond to the crisis, which is historically accurate.
• Option 3: Lincoln initiated the naval blockade without waiting for Congress, so this is incorrect.
• Option 4: Lincoln was relatively assertive in using war powers, not cautious, so this is incorrect.
• Option 5: Lincoln dispatched troops before Congress declared war, so this is incorrect.

Answer:

B. increased the size of the army without the approval of Congress.