Question

in his inaugural address, lincoln refused to compromise on which of the following issues?

slavery in southern states
slavery in western states
secession of southern states
war against the south

Explanation:

Analyze Lincoln's stance on slavery in the South

In his First Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln explicitly stated that he had no intention, inclination, or lawful right to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it already existed. This was a point on which he was willing to reassure the South to prevent conflict.

Analyze Lincoln's stance on slavery in the territories

While Lincoln and the Republican Party opposed the expansion of slavery into new Western territories, the immediate constitutional crisis of his inauguration centered on the preservation of the Union itself rather than a refusal to compromise on territorial expansion in that specific address.

Analyze Lincoln's stance on secession

Using the Lincoln First Inaugural and Preservation of the Union concepts, we examine Lincoln's core argument: the Union is perpetual, and therefore, secession is legally void. Lincoln firmly refused to recognize the legitimacy of the Confederacy or compromise on the Secession Legality of the Southern states. He declared that he would use his power to hold, occupy, and possess federal property, making the secession of Southern states the non-negotiable issue.

Analyze Lincoln's stance on war

Lincoln did not seek war and explicitly placed the decision for conflict in the hands of the South, stating, "In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow-countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war." He did not refuse to compromise on war itself, but rather on the preservation of the Union.

Answer:

• slavery in Southern states
• slavery in Western states
• secession of Southern states (Correct answer)
• war against the South