States' Rights and the 10th Amendment Quiz

What does the 10th amendment state regarding powers not in the Constitution?

Slavery is included in the Constitution.

Who has the power to make decisions about slavery according to the content?

What does nullification mean?

The South was forced to buy goods from Europe due to the tariff.

What was the primary reason for the South's refusal to pay the tariff?

The cost of cloth in the United States was ______ a roll.

States' Rights

The 10th Amendment of the United States Constitution, part of the Bill of Rights, establishes that any powers not specifically delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states, or to the people.
The Constitution does not mention slavery explicitly.
This lack of constitutional mention led to the belief that states had the inherent power to determine their own policies regarding slavery.

Nullification Crisis

The Nullification Crisis arose from a dispute over tariffs, or taxes, imposed by the federal government on imported goods.
The South felt that the tariffs forced them to buy more expensive goods from Northern factories rather than cheaper goods from Europe.
The South argued that states had the right to nullify, or declare invalid, federal laws they deemed unconstitutional.
This was known as the "nullification doctrine."
The South's refusal to pay the tariff led to heightened tensions between the North and South.
This crisis ultimately highlighted the growing sectional differences between the two regions.
The crisis further fuelled the debate over states' rights and federal power.

Test your knowledge on the 10th Amendment of the United States Constitution and its implications for states' rights. This quiz covers the interpretation of powers reserved for states, particularly in relation to slavery and governance. Explore how the Constitution's silence on certain issues has influenced state policies.