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Stephen Douglas: Popular Sovereignty

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Stephen Douglas proposed a law called “Popular Sovereignty”, this law lets people from territories like Kansas and Nebraska vote whether or whether not slavery was allowed in the territories. (Mr. Adreon’s Notes) This act reversed the Compromise of 1820. The Compromise of 1820 said no slavery was allowed North of latitude 36°30. Before popular sovereignty, Kansas and Nebraska had to be a free territory therefore, getting more votes for the North in the senate. This infuriated the South. (Discovering our Pasts; The History of the United States Early Years, P. 431 and 432) When the people of Kansas had the chance to vote whether they wanted Kansas to be a free territory or slave territory (http://www.historyplace.com/lincoln/kansas.htm). Out

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