Research topic: Free-Soil party

Free-Soil party in U.S. history, political party that came into existence in 1847-48 chiefly because of rising opposition to the extension of slavery into any of the territories newly acquired from Mexico. The struggle in Congress over the Wilmot Proviso helped to consolidate the Free-Soil forces, which comprised those New York Democrats known as Barnburners , the antislavery Whigs, and members of the former Liberty party . These forces met in mass convention at Buffalo in Aug., 1848, where the party was formally organized and Martin Van Buren and Charles F. Adams (1807-86) were chosen... Read more