What did Stephen Douglas believe that?

Answer 1

Stephen Douglas believed in the principle of popular sovereignty, which held that the residents of a territory should have the right to decide whether to allow slavery or not. He argued that this approach would help resolve the contentious issue of slavery's expansion into new territories. Douglas also believed that this would promote democracy and reduce sectional tensions, allowing for a more peaceful resolution to the conflict between free and slave states. His views played a significant role in the debates leading up to the Civil War, particularly through the Kansas-Nebraska Act.