The Doctrine of Popular Sovereignty Was Most Closely Associated With:

The concept of popular sovereignty has a long and complex history. It has been associated with many political theories and movements throughout history, but the most prominent association is with the antebellum era in the United States. The doctrine of popular sovereignty was most closely associated with the debates about the expansion of slavery into the American territories during this period.

Popular sovereignty was the idea that the people of a given territory or region had the ultimate authority to decide their own destiny. This ideology was in direct contrast to the notion of federal authority, which held that the federal government had the ultimate power to determine the fate of a given territory. This debate was particularly contentious during the expansion of slavery into the territories, as the issue of slavery divided the nation between those who supported it and those who opposed it.

In support of the doctrine of popular sovereignty, proponents argued that the people of a given territory should have the right to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery. This argument was primarily championed by Democratic Senator Stephen Douglas, who proposed the “Dred Scott” decision as a solution to the debate on slavery. Under this decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the people of a given territory had the right to decide the legality of slavery in their area. This ruling was met with fierce opposition from Abolitionists and other anti-slavery activists, who argued that the federal government had the power to determine the fate of a given territory.

Despite this opposition, the doctrine of popular sovereignty continued to gain ground throughout the antebellum period. This trend culminated with the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which allowed the people of each territory to decide whether or not to allow slavery. This law, along with Senator Douglas’s support of popular sovereignty, ultimately led to the Civil War in 1861.

The doctrine of popular sovereignty was a powerful and controversial idea during the antebellum period in the United States. It was closely associated with the debate over the expansion of slavery, and ultimately led to the Civil War. While the doctrine was highly contested, it ultimately allowed each territory to decide for itself whether or not to allow slavery.