What term describes the idea that states could leave the Union after freely joining it?

What term describes the idea that states could leave the Union after freely joining it?

• A. Secession
• B. Nullification
• C. Popular Sovereignty
• D. Manifest Destiny

Answer: (A)

Secession is the idea that a state could leave the Union after freely joining it. In U.S. history, this concept was invoked by Southern states that chose to withdraw from the United States in 1860–1861, arguing that the Constitution created a voluntary compact and that states could exit if their rights or interests were harmed. This is different from nullification, which is about a state claiming the right to ignore a federal law while remaining in the Union; or from popular sovereignty, which concerns the people of a territory deciding on issues like slavery before statehood; and from Manifest Destiny, the belief in expanding the nation's territory westward.

Secession is the idea that a state could leave the Union after freely joining it. In U.S. history, this concept was invoked by Southern states that chose to withdraw from the United States in 1860–1861, arguing that the Constitution created a voluntary compact and that states could exit if their rights or interests were harmed. This is different from nullification, which is about a state claiming the right to ignore a federal law while remaining in the Union; or from popular sovereignty, which concerns the people of a territory deciding on issues like slavery before statehood; and from Manifest Destiny, the belief in expanding the nation's territory westward.