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Difficulty: HardPolitical and Social Impacts of the Civil War

Read the excerpt below.

"I return with my objections to the House of Representatives... the bill entitled 'An act donating public lands to the several States and Territories which may provide colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts.' ... I deem it to be both inexpedient and unconstitutional... The Federal Government is one of limited as well as delegated powers. It has no power, either express or implied, to appropriate the public lands or the public money for the purpose of establishing systems of education in the several States."
—President James Buchanan, Veto Message, February 24, 1859

Which of the following historical developments best explains why the legislation described in the excerpt was successfully enacted in 1862?

  1. The secession of Southern states from the Union removed the primary congressional opposition to federal expansion into economic and social development.Answer
  2. B
    The ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment established a constitutional mandate for federal funding of public higher education.
  3. C
    The implementation of Congressional Reconstruction policies forced Southern legislatures to accept federal education plans.
  4. D
    A compromise over federal tariff rates led Southern representatives to approve the land grants in exchange for lower import duties.

Answer

The secession of Southern states from the Union removed the primary congressional opposition to federal expansion into economic and social development.
The correct answer is correct because the secession of Southern states in 1860 and 1861 led to the departure of Southern Democrats from the United States Congress. Prior to the war, Southern representatives had consistently blocked nationalist economic proposals, including land grants, transcontinental railroad subsidies, and protective tariffs, on the grounds of states' rights and strict constitutional construction. With Southern opposition removed, the Republican-dominated Congress successfully passed the Morrill Land Grant Act, the Homestead Act, and the Pacific Railway Act in 1862.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source document to identify President Buchanan's objections to the land-grant bill.
Buchanan argues that the bill is unconstitutional because the federal government has no delegated power to establish educational systems in the states.
To understand the constitutional and political obstacles to federal land grants before the Civil War.
2
Recall the political changes in Congress between Buchanan's veto in 1859 and the bill's passage in 1862.
Southern states seceded from the Union, and their representatives withdrew from Congress, leaving a Republican majority.
To identify the political shift that occurred as a direct result of the outbreak of the Civil War.
3
Evaluate the options to find which historical development explains how these political changes resolved the constitutional debate.
The secession of Southern states removed the strict constructionist opposition, allowing the remaining nationalist Republican coalition to pass the bill.
To select the option that accurately connects secession (a major political impact of the Civil War) to the passage of wartime economic legislation.

Key Concept

Political impact of secession on wartime federal legislation
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

Political and Social Impacts of the Civil War

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