Popular sovereignty
Popular sovereignty is a political principle asserting that the authority of a government is derived from the will of the people. This concept has deep roots in American history, prominently featured in the drafting of the U.S. Constitution by the Founding Fathers, who emphasized the importance of individual choice and limited governmental power. The term became widely recognized in the nineteenth century, particularly through the actions of politician Stephen A. Douglas, as a proposed compromise in the contentious debate over slavery. Under popular sovereignty, territories were granted the right to vote on whether to allow slavery, a decision that sparked significant conflict, particularly during events such as the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. The ensuing violence, known as "Bleeding Kansas," exemplified the challenges of implementing this principle in practice, as both abolitionists and pro-slavery factions sought to influence territorial governance. Today, popular sovereignty remains integral to the U.S. democratic system, where elected representatives in Congress and electoral decisions are determined by the people. This principle continues to shape the relationship between citizens and their government, reflecting a commitment to democratic ideals and individual rights.
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Popular sovereignty
Popular sovereignty is a political term that means the people should have a say in their government. The concept has existed in American history since the original drafting of the Constitution by the nation’s Founding Fathers. It is reflected in the structure of the US government, from the creation of the representative Congress to the significant divisions between state, local, and federal governments in a federalist system.
The term popular sovereignty was first coined by politician Stephen A. Douglas during the nineteenth century. At the time, popular sovereignty was being considered as a compromise between abolitionists, individuals who were against slavery, and pro-slavery activists. Popular sovereignty would allow territories to vote on whether they wanted to allow slavery within their borders as they entered the United States. Though public sovereignty gave more power to the common person, it pleased neither abolitionists nor pro-slavery activists. Violence broke out between the two groups in Kansas after the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which helped push the United States toward the Civil War.
Background
Popular sovereignty means that people are the rulers of their government. Though first given the name during the nineteenth century, the idea was extremely influential in the drafting of the US Constitution. When writing the Constitution, the Founding Fathers kept several important principles in mind, which were later called the Seven Principles of the Constitution.
Popular sovereignty was the first principle of the Constitution. The Founding Fathers interpreted the term through the lens of a political ideology called classical liberalism. To them, popular sovereignty meant maintaining the power of individual choice within the nation. They believed that the best way to do this would be to limit governmental power and increase the representation that the average citizen had in governmental decisions. For this reason, popular sovereignty is considered to have influenced many of the other principles of the Constitution. For example, republicanism, referring to a representative form of government, also ensured that the ultimate power of governance rested in the citizens of the nation. Federalism, meaning a multilayered government, made state and local governments distinct from the federal government. This gave citizens even greater control over their state and local governments. Two other principles, limited government and individual rights, were kept in mind to limit the power of the government and maximize the power of the individual.
Popular sovereignty is also reflected in the modern design of the US government, as outlined in the Constitution. The primary lawmakers of the nation, the House of Representatives and the Senate, are elected directly by the people. The people also decide how a state’s electoral votes are distributed during a presidential election.
Overview
Popular sovereignty has been a driving force throughout American history. Many Americans hold democracy as a national ideal and resent unnecessary governmental interference.
One of the best-known applications of popular sovereignty took place during the nineteenth century. At the time, the United States was conflicted over slavery. Many northern states wanted to rid the nation of slavery and had banned its practice within their borders. However, the economy of many southern states hinged upon slavery. These states feared a federal ban on slavery and viewed federal resistance to slavery as an encroachment upon states’ rights.
At the time, the United States was still expanding. Several of its western territories were poised to enter the Union as states. New free states or states supporting slavery could push the national balance of power toward a federal ruling on slavery. This issue came to a head in 1849 when President Zachary Taylor assumed office. The nation was divided on whether the formerly Mexican territories should enter the Union as free states or states in support of slavery. California, one of the most prominent former territories, had grown significantly in population during its recent Gold Rush.
To reach a resolution, Congress created the Compromise of 1850, which was broken into five parts. For the first part, California would enter the Union as a free state. The second part declared that popular sovereignty would rule for the addition of New Mexico and Utah. The settlers of the territories would vote, deciding whether or not to allow slavery in the area. The other parts dealt with the slavery in different regions of the nation and removed New Mexico from the control of Texas.
Popular sovereignty was utilized again by the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. This act, proposed by Stephen A. Douglas, overturned the Missouri Compromise. The Missouri Compromise had used latitude as a way to limit the spread of slavery. Douglas’s bill instead made it mandatory for new states entering the Union to utilize popular sovereignty to decide whether they were states in support of slavery or free states.
Unfortunately, utilizing popular sovereignty on an issue as divisive as slavery led to a series of unfortunate events in Kansas. Pro-slavery and anti-slavery activists flooded Kansas, each attempting to influence the outcome in a manner favoring its views. Violent crime between the opposing groups quickly broke out, continuing until Kansas voted to enter the Union as a free state in 1861. Many people blamed the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 for the violence. Both abolitionists and pro-slavery activists were unhappy with allowing states to choose their status and blamed public sovereignty. The violent period, later known as Bleeding Kansas, is credited with pushing the United States toward the Civil War.
Bibliography
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Munson, Olivia. “What is Popular Sovereignty? Understanding How the Doctrine Works and What It Means in a Democracy.” USA Today, 8 Feb. 2024, www.usatoday.com/story/news/2023/04/17/what-is-popular-sovereignty-definition-meaning/11515029002. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.
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