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Morgan's argument is largely based upon the legislature and people in power holding American power. When it comes to popular sovereignty, the people were given the absolute right to decide, and although these decisions were no doubt influenced by the legislative, they were the people's decisions. Furthermore the notion of popular sovereignty according to Morgan includes the "independent authority of the state governments" and thus the way the states or future states were given the opportunity to decide for themselves if they want slavery or not was in fact the practice of popular sovereignty (Morgan 280). The conclusion to draw from this is that if in fact Morgan's belief that popular sovereignty was a myth is to be accepted, it was a myth in its earliest days, and perhaps later it became more of a reality, particularly on the issue of slavery in new territories.
Ultimately Morgan may have a correct interpretation of the founding father's intentions...
Morgan considers popular sovereignty to be a "fictional glorification," and this is not the case when considering historical evidence later in the 19th century (Morgan 166). Morgan's account on the failure of popular sovereignty, or rather the lack thereof, is based on the work in the Constitution and the original framers of the American political system. It appears that popular sovereignty grew over time as settlers were given a direct say on a very important issue- that of slavery in new territories. Perhaps Congress still had sway over the settlers by using timing and policies to control the number of slave and free states in the Union, however a direct referendum is evidence of popular sovereignty.
Works Cited
Morgan, Edmun S. Inventing the People. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 1988.
Works Cited
Morgan, Edmun S. Inventing the People. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 1988.
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