Antebellum Reform Movements · US History

The 'Gag Rule' passed by the House of Representatives in 1836 was intended to:

  1. Prevent the discussion of anti-slavery petitions in Congress
  2. Limit the amount of time women could speak at political conventions
  3. Stop the distribution of temperance literature in the South
  4. Ban the publication of newspapers that criticized the President
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Correct answer: Prevent the discussion of anti-slavery petitions in Congress

Proslavery members of Congress pushed for the Gag Rule to automatically table all anti-slavery petitions without discussion. This move backfired by allowing abolitionists to argue that slavery was a threat to the free speech rights of all Americans.

Difficulty: Medium Question 9 of 20

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