Popular Sovereignty: Popular sovereignty is the concept that political power resides with the people of a nation, who have the authority to make decisions through voting and elections.
Dred Scott v. Sandford: This Supreme Court case involved an enslaved man named Dred Scott who sued for his freedom but was denied by the court, reinforcing the idea that enslaved individuals were property rather than citizens.
Missouri Compromise: The Missouri Compromise was an agreement made in 1820 to maintain a balance between slave and free states by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state while drawing a line across future territories where slavery would be prohibited (36°30' parallel).