The Historical Development and Inevitable Triumph of Popular Sovereignty in America

Key Insight

Although popular sovereignty was a foundational principle from the outset in most English colonies, its dominance over society's governance was initially constrained. Two primary impediments hindered its full expression: an external one, requiring obedience to the metropolis, which relegated the principle to provincial assemblies and town governments where it spread discreetly; and an internal one, as American society was not yet ready for its full implications. Early aristocratic influences, particularly 'enlightenment in New England and wealth south of the Hudson', concentrated power, meaning public officials were not all elected, and citizens' voting rights were restricted by property qualifications, which were 'lower in the North' and 'higher in the South'.

The American Revolution marked a pivotal shift, liberating the dogma of popular sovereignty from its confined role in towns and establishing it as 'the law of laws' of the government. All segments of society embraced this cause, fighting and achieving victory in its name. Concurrently, rapid societal changes occurred, amplified by inheritance laws that dismantled local influences. As the combined effects of the law and Revolution became evident, the triumph of democracy was irreversible, with power firmly in its hands.

Even the upper classes, facing an unavoidable new reality, submitted without resistance. Their self-interest led them to seek favor with the people; even those whose interests were most threatened by democratic laws actively voted for them, inadvertently accelerating the new order's success. This explains the paradoxical observation that the democratic spirit proved most potent in states previously dominated by aristocracy; for instance, Maryland, founded by great lords, was the first to declare universal suffrage through amendments in 1801 and 1809 and implement highly democratic governmental forms. Once a society begins to adjust property qualifications for voting, the complete elimination of such restrictions becomes an inevitable process, as each extension of the franchise amplifies democratic power and demands until universal suffrage is fully achieved.