The Free-Soil Party was a brief political party active from 1848 to 1855. Antislavery forces such as the Whig Party, the Liberty Party, and the Barnburners, who were strongly opposed to slavery, formed it in 1848. It was founded in and received its power from Buffalo, New York. Its main purpose was opposing the expansion of slavery into the western territories acquired from Mexico. In August 1848, Conscience Whigs and other abolitionists along with seventeen northern states formed the Free-Soil Party. They nominated Martin Van Buren, 8th President of the United States, as the presidential candidate and Charles Francis Adams as the vice-presidential candidate. Although they did not win the election, the Free-Soil Party sent two Senators and
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They were essentially a single-issue party that was dedicated to reducing slavery. Supporters of the failed 1846 Wilmot Proviso took part in supporting the Free-Soil Party. The Wilmot Proviso was a short-lived amendment for a bill in association with the Mexican War. The bill would have banned slavery in any U.S territory obtained from Mexico. The slave limitation never became a law but it set the stage for the Free-Soil Party. Free-Soilers gathered at the convention of 1848 that took place on August 9th at the Lafayette Square, then known as Court House Park. (Old Court House 1) The Free-Soil Party elected former president, Martin van Buren of New York and Charles Francis Adams, son of John Quincy Adams and grandson of John Adams. They supported the slogan “free soil, free speech, free labor, and free men”. The party was lead by Salmon P. Chase of Ohio and John P. Hale of New Hampshire who was the first anti-slavery senator. Martin van Buren was up against Whig Zachary Taylor of Louisiana and Democratic Lewis Cass of Michigan. The Free-Soil candidates won 10% of the popular vote accumulating 291,263 votes nationally but no electoral votes. Martin van Buren weakened the Democratic candidate’s votes resulting in a Whig, Zachary Taylor to win the 1848 election with over forty-seven percent of the
They were essentially a single-issue party that was dedicated to reducing slavery. Supporters of the failed 1846 Wilmot Proviso took part in supporting the Free-Soil Party. The Wilmot Proviso was a short-lived amendment for a bill in association with the Mexican War. The bill would have banned slavery in any U.S territory obtained from Mexico. The slave limitation never became a law but it set the stage for the Free-Soil Party. Free-Soilers gathered at the convention of 1848 that took place on August 9th at the Lafayette Square, then known as Court House Park. (Old Court House 1) The Free-Soil Party elected former president, Martin van Buren of New York and Charles Francis Adams, son of John Quincy Adams and grandson of John Adams. They supported the slogan “free soil, free speech, free labor, and free men”. The party was lead by Salmon P. Chase of Ohio and John P. Hale of New Hampshire who was the first anti-slavery senator. Martin van Buren was up against Whig Zachary Taylor of Louisiana and Democratic Lewis Cass of Michigan. The Free-Soil candidates won 10% of the popular vote accumulating 291,263 votes nationally but no electoral votes. Martin van Buren weakened the Democratic candidate’s votes resulting in a Whig, Zachary Taylor to win the 1848 election with over forty-seven percent of the