After the Dred Scott Decision Frederick Douglass said he sought to have Americans live up to the principles of the Constitution what did he believe prevented Americans from living up to the Constitution, unit 3 lesson 8 test

Frederick Douglass believed that slavery prevented Americans from living up to the principles of the Constitution. He saw slavery as a clear violation of the Constitutional principles of liberty, equality, and justice. Douglass argued that the institution of slavery contradicted the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, which stated that "all men are created equal" and endowed with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. He believed that the practice of slavery undermined the integrity of the Constitution and called for its abolition.