What was Lincoln's position in his 1857 Speech on Dred Scott?

• A. Rejects ruling as dangerous expansion of slavery
• B. Supports the ruling
• C. Argues for immediate abolition
• D. Endorses federal ban on slavery in territories

Answer: (A)

In that 1857 speech, Lincoln is directly challenging the Dred Scott ruling. He rejects the idea that the Supreme Court’s decision was legitimate or good for the nation, arguing it would dangerously expand slavery by implying it could spread into new territories and undermine the principle of equality at the heart of the nation's founding. He uses the speech to push back against letting slavery expand, and to defend the idea that the nation should prohibit its spread into new territories, which is why the best answer is that he rejects the ruling as a dangerous expansion of slavery. The other options don’t fit because he does not endorse the ruling, he does not call for immediate abolition in that speech, and while he supports limiting slavery’s spread, the emphasis here is on opposing the decision as a dangerous step toward expanding slavery.