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?
(1 point)
Responses
manifest destiny
manifest destiny
abolition
abolition
popular sovereignty
popular sovereignty
slavery
slavery
slavery
Frederick Douglass believed that slavery prevented Americans from living up to the principles of the Constitution.
Frederick Douglass believed that slavery prevented Americans from living up to the principles of the Constitution. To understand how he arrived at this belief, we can examine the context of the Dred Scott decision.
The Dred Scott decision, issued by the Supreme Court in 1857, stated that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, were not considered citizens and therefore did not possess the rights and protections outlined in the Constitution. This decision further reinforced the institution of slavery and gave legal support to the belief that African Americans were inferior and could be owned as property.
Frederick Douglass, himself a former slave who became a prominent abolitionist and advocate for civil rights, strongly opposed the Dred Scott decision. He saw it as a direct violation of the principles set forth in the Constitution, which declared all men to be created equal and endowed with certain unalienable rights.
By denying citizenship to African Americans and upholding the institution of slavery, Douglass believed that America was failing to live up to the ideals and principles laid out in the Constitution. He argued that the Constitution was intended to guarantee freedom and equality for all individuals, regardless of race or background, and that slavery contradicted these fundamental values.
Therefore, Douglass sought to challenge the prevailing attitudes and laws that perpetuated slavery, and he called for Americans to recognize and embrace the principles of the Constitution in order to ensure justice and equality for all.