Question

question 7
5 pts
in 1858, in response to abraham lincolns assertions about slavery in the territories, stephen douglas
declared, \this government was made by our fathers, by white men for the benefit of white men.\
emphasized colonization of freed slaves as the only practical solution to the problem of slavery.
stole lincolns thunder by advocating a plan for gradual emancipation with compensation for former slaveholders.
asserted that settlers could exclude slavery from a territory by not adopting local legislation to protect it.

Explanation:

Analyze the historical context of 1858

In 1858, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas engaged in a series of seven historic debates during the Illinois Senate race. A central issue of these debates was the Slavery Expansion into newly acquired western territories, especially in light of the Supreme Court's 1857 Dred Scott decision.

Examine the Freeport Doctrine

During the second debate in Freeport, Illinois, Lincoln asked Douglas how the residents of a territory could lawfully exclude slavery before writing a state constitution, given that the Dred Scott decision ruled that Congress could not ban slavery in the territories. Douglas responded with what became known as the Freeport Doctrine.

Evaluate Douglas's response

Douglas asserted that regardless of the Supreme Court's ruling, slavery could not exist in a territory unless it was supported by local police regulations and laws. Therefore, if the settlers of a territory did not pass local legislation to protect and enforce slavery, the institution could not take root there, effectively allowing them to exclude it.

Match with the correct option

The fourth option states that Douglas "asserted that settlers could exclude slavery from a territory by not adopting local legislation to protect it." This directly describes the Freeport Doctrine formulated by Douglas in response to Lincoln's challenges.

Answer:

• (A) declared, "This government was made by our fathers, by white men for the benefit of white men."
• (B) emphasized colonization of freed slaves as the only practical solution to the problem of slavery.
• (C) stole Lincoln's thunder by advocating a plan for gradual emancipation with compensation for former slaveholders.
• (D) asserted that settlers could exclude slavery from a territory by not adopting local legislation to protect it. (Correct answer)