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Free-Soil Party

Free-Soil Party
Minor but influential 19th-century U.S. political party that opposed the extension of slavery into the western territories.

In 1846 proponents of the Wilmot Proviso and other antislavery factions formed a party; in 1848 it nominated former president Martin Van Buren to head its ticket. Though Van Buren lost, many party supporters were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. By 1854 the party was absorbed into the Republican Party.

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 (1848–54), minor but influential political party in the pre-Civil War period of American history that opposed the extension of slavery into the western territories. Fearful of expanding slave power within the national government, Representative David Wilmot of Pennsylvania in 1846 introduced into Congress his famous Wilmot Proviso, calling for the prohibition of slavery in the vast southwestern lands that had been newly acquired from Mexico. The Wilmot concept, which failed in Congress, was a direct ideological antecedent to the Free-Soil Party. Disappointed by the ambivalent position of the Whig Party toward slavery, “Conscience” Whigs held a convention in August 1848 at Buffalo, N.Y. There they were joined by delegates from 17 states drawn from the Liberty Party (q.v.) and the antislavery faction of the New York Democrats, known as “Barnburners.”. The Free-Soilers' historic slogan calling for “free soil, free speech, free labor, and free men” attracted small farmers, debtors, village merchants, and household and mill workers, who resented the prospect of black-labour competition—whether slave or free—in the territories.

      In 1848 the Free-Soil Party nominated the former U.S. president Martin Van Buren (Van Buren, Martin) to head its ticket. Though the party polled only 10 percent of the popular vote in the presidential election that year, it weakened the regular Democratic candidate in New York and contributed to the election of the Whig candidate General Zachary Taylor (Taylor, Zachary) as president. The Free-Soil vote was reduced to 5 percent in 1852, when John P. Hale was the presidential nominee. Nevertheless, a dozen Free-Soil congressmen later held the balance of power in the House of Representatives, thus wielding considerable influence. In addition, the party was well represented in several state legislatures. In 1854 the disorganized remnants of the party were absorbed into the newly formed Republican Party, which carried the Free-Soil idea of opposing the expansion of slavery one step further by condemning slavery as a moral evil as well.

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Universalium. 2010.

  
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  • Free Soil Party — Template:Infobox Historical American Political Party party name= Free Soil Party party party articletitle= Free Soil Party active= 1848 1854 ideology= anti slavery expansion position= N/A international= None preceded by= Liberty Party Whig Party… …   Wikipedia

  • Free Soil Party — Plakat der Free Soil Party, mit Martin Van Buren und Charles Francis Adams von 1848 Die Free Soil Party (bekannt auch unter den Namen Freibodenmänner; Nationalreformer; Landreformer; Freesoilers) war eine politische Fraktion der Demokratischen… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Free Soil Party — Parti du sol libre Le Parti du sol libre (Free Soil Party) est un parti politique des États Unis qui connut une courte existence, actif lors des élections présidentielles de 1848 et 1852, et dans quelques élections d États. Alors troisième parti… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Free Soil party — a former U.S. political party (1848 56) that opposed the extension of slavery in the Territories not yet admitted to statehood. * * * …   Universalium

  • Free-soil — a. 1. Pertaining to, or advocating, the non extension of slavery; esp. applied to a party which was active during the period 1846 1856. [U.S.] [WordNet 1.5] 2. Pertaining to territory where slavery was prohibited. [U.S.] [WordNet sense 1] Syn: s …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • free-soil — free soilism, n. /free soyl /, adj. U.S. Hist. 1. pertaining to or opposing the extension of slavery in the Territories. 2. pertaining to or characteristic of the Free Soil party. [1840 50, Amer.] * * * …   Universalium

  • Free Soil — Plakat der Free Soil Party, mit Martin Van Buren Charles Francis Adams, Sr. von 1848 Free Soil (bekannt auch unter den Namen Freibodenmänner; Nationalreformer; Landreformer; Freesoilers) war eine politische Fraktion der Demokratischen Partei in… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • free-soil — adjective Date: 1846 1. characterized by free soil < free soil states > 2. capitalized F&S opposing the extension of slavery into United States territories and the admission of slave states into the Union prior to the Civil War; specifically of,… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Free-soilism — Free soil Free soil , a. 1. Pertaining to, or advocating, the non extension of slavery; esp. applied to a party which was active during the period 1846 1856. [U.S.] [WordNet 1.5] 2. Pertaining to territory where slavery was prohibited. [U.S.]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Free-Soiler — /free soy leuhr/, n. a member of the Free Soil party or a supporter of its principles. [1840 50, Amer.; FREE SOIL (PARTY) + ER1] * * * …   Universalium

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