Advocates for Popular Sovereignty- Who Championed Its Application to the Slavery Debate-

Who believed popular sovereignty should be the policy regarding slavery? This question delves into the complex political and moral debates that dominated the United States in the 19th century. Popular sovereignty, the idea that the will of the people should determine the status of slavery in a particular territory, was a central issue in the lead-up to the Civil War. Several key figures, both pro-slavery and anti-slavery, held strong beliefs on this matter, shaping the nation’s political landscape and ultimately leading to the country’s greatest internal conflict.

The concept of popular sovereignty gained prominence during the 1840s and 1850s, as the United States expanded westward. As new territories were being considered for statehood, the question of whether they would allow slavery became a contentious issue. Among those who believed popular sovereignty should be the policy regarding slavery were political figures such as Stephen A. Douglas, John C. Calhoun, and Jefferson Davis.

Stephen A. Douglas, a leading Democratic politician and statesman, was a proponent of popular sovereignty. He argued that the decision regarding slavery in a territory should be left to the people who would live there, rather than being imposed by the federal government. Douglas’s famous compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, was based on the principle of popular sovereignty. This act allowed settlers in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery, effectively repealing the Missouri Compromise of 1820.

John C. Calhoun, a former vice president and U.S. senator from South Carolina, was another prominent advocate for popular sovereignty. Calhoun believed that the institution of slavery was a natural right and that the federal government had no authority to dictate the status of slavery in a territory. He argued that the power to decide on slavery should rest with the states and their citizens, as it was a matter of states’ rights.

Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War, also subscribed to the principle of popular sovereignty. Davis believed that the Southern states had the right to determine the status of slavery within their borders, and that the federal government had no legitimate authority to interfere. His stance on popular sovereignty was a cornerstone of the Confederate cause.

On the other side of the debate were those who opposed popular sovereignty and fought to prevent the spread of slavery into new territories. Among them were prominent abolitionists such as William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Abraham Lincoln.

William Lloyd Garrison, a leading abolitionist and editor of The Liberator, was fiercely opposed to the concept of popular sovereignty. He believed that the institution of slavery was a moral evil and that the federal government had a duty to stamp it out wherever it existed. Garrison argued that the will of the majority should not be used to justify the oppression of a minority.

Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” also opposed popular sovereignty. Her novel depicted the horrors of slavery and argued that the institution was inherently wrong. Stowe believed that the federal government should take a stand against slavery and not allow it to spread.

Abraham Lincoln, who would later become the 16th president of the United States, also opposed the concept of popular sovereignty. Lincoln believed that the federal government had a responsibility to protect the rights of all citizens, including the freedom to live without the threat of slavery. He argued that the principle of popular sovereignty was a dangerous precedent that could lead to the perpetuation of an unjust institution.

In conclusion, the question of who believed popular sovereignty should be the policy regarding slavery is a complex one, with strong opinions on both sides of the debate. Proponents such as Stephen A. Douglas, John C. Calhoun, and Jefferson Davis argued that the will of the people should determine the status of slavery in a territory, while opponents like William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Abraham Lincoln believed that the federal government had a duty to protect the rights of all citizens and prevent the spread of slavery. These differing beliefs played a significant role in the political and moral conflicts that led to the Civil War and the eventual abolition of slavery in the United States.