The Gettysburg Address emphasizes which principle from the Declaration of Independence?

• A. States' rights
• B. Declaration's equality for all
• C. Pro-slavery expansion
• D. Tax policy

Answer: (B)

The main idea being tested is how the Gettysburg Address ties the Civil War to the Declaration of Independence by focusing on equality for all. In the address, Lincoln recalls that the nation was “conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” He uses this to frame the war as a test of whether a government built on that promise can endure, and he signals that the fight is about ensuring equal rights rather than favoring one region or policy.

That emphasis on equality explains why it’s the best choice. The Gettysburg Address moves the nation's purpose from preserving the Union to upholding the principle that all people are entitled to equal rights, which directly mirrors the Declaration’s claim about equality.

The other options don’t fit because they focus on issues not central to the address’s message: states’ rights centers on state sovereignty, pro-slavery expansion contradicts the proposition of equal rights, and tax policy has no bearing on the founding principle being invoked.