Chapter 18

Question 1

What was the deal with popular sovereignty?

Answer 1

Popular sovereignty was the doctrine that territories, under general rules of the Constitution, should determine for themselves if they’d like to practice slavery on their land.

It was an appealing doctrine for all because, for politicians, it placed the stress out of their hands in Washington to the hands of the people. For the public, it fell under the idea of self-determination which everyone loved.

The con, however, is that it leaned toward the spread of slavery.