The question is after the Dred Scott decision, Frederick Douglass said he sought to have Americans lip up to the principles of the constitution. What did he believe prevented Americans from living up to the constitution? The correct answer is slavery. I answered wrong with popular sovereignty. Can you explain why my answer was incorrect, and the other answer was correct
Frederick Douglass believed that Americans were not living up to the principles of the Constitution primarily because of the existence of slavery, not popular sovereignty.
Popular sovereignty refers to the idea that the authority of the government is derived from the consent of the people. It was a concept that emerged during the mid-19th century debates over slavery, particularly in the context of the western territories. It suggested that the residents of those territories should have the right to determine whether slavery would be allowed or prohibited within their borders. However, despite its importance in the political discourse of the time, popular sovereignty alone did not prevent Americans from living up to the principles of the Constitution.
On the other hand, slavery directly contradicted the principles of freedom, equality, and justice outlined in the Constitution. The Dred Scott decision of 1857, in which the Supreme Court ruled that enslaved people were property and not citizens, further entrenched the institution of slavery and denied the fundamental human rights of African Americans.
Frederick Douglass, a prominent abolitionist and former enslaved person himself, dedicated his life to fighting against slavery and advocating for the rights of African Americans. He argued that the existence of slavery undermined the very principles upon which the nation was founded. By seeking to have Americans "live up to the principles of the Constitution," Douglass aimed to eradicate slavery and ensure the application of constitutional rights and freedoms to all citizens, irrespective of their race or color.
In summary, your answer of popular sovereignty was incorrect because it does not directly address the specific issue that Frederick Douglass highlighted as preventing Americans from living up to the principles of the Constitution, which was slavery.