The idea of popular sovereignty

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The idea of popular sovereignty, which emerged during the debate over the expansion of slavery in the territories, proposed that the people living in those territories should be allowed to decide for themselves whether or not to permit slavery. This idea did not solve the controversy over slavery's extension, but rather postponed it and ultimately contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War. It did not guarantee slavery would spread westward, as some territories ultimately decided against permitting it. The idea of popular sovereignty was not adopted by the Whigs, but rather by the Democratic Party in the 1848 election, with nominee Lewis Cass advocating for it. There was no state named Oregon that entered the Union as a slave state.

The Idea of Popular Sovereignty