How did the idea of popular sovereignty affect slavery in the United States?
1 Answer
The concept of popular sovereignty made slavery legally possible in all new states and territories.
Explanation:
Under the compromise of 1850 new territories and states could vote on if they wanted to become a free state ( slavery not legal) or a slave state ( Slavery legal) The previous laws setting a boundary north of which slavery was illegal were overturned.
Popular sovereignty made turning all of United States into a slavery legal nation a real possibility. Popular sovereignty gave slavery a legal basis.
Popular sovereignty made slavery more odious to the northern states. The absolutist movement became much stronger due to Popular sovereignty.
After Popular sovereignty the nation would have to become either completely slave or completely free. The division of the nation which had existed since it founding could not survive under Popular sovereignty. This is what Abraham Lincoln made clear in the famous Douglas Lincoln debates. " A nation divided against itself can not stand. "
