Prior to 1863 when lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation, the central issue for the north was not slavery, but what?
a. preserving the union.
b. maintaining the system of indentured servatude.
c. balance of power of legislatures within states.
d. leadership of the soutern convention.

The correct answer is A) Preserving the Union.

When Lincoln was elected president in 1860, he wanted to keep the Union together. This is why he did not want to try to abolish slavery where it existed. Rather, he was an advocate of stopping the institution from spreading to new territories that the United States was adding during this era of westward expansion.

in february 1787, congress decided that a convention should be convened to revise the articles of confederation, the nation’s first constitution. in may, 55 delegates came to philadelphia, and the constitutional convention began. debates erupted over representation in congress, over slavery, and over the new executive branch. the debates continued through four hot and muggy months. but eventually the delegates reached compromises, and on september 17, they produced the u.s. constitution, replacing the articles with the governing document that has functioned effectively for more than 200 years.