Political_Landscape_From_1850_To_1860

Political Landscape From 1850 To 1860 Leading up to and even during the 1850’s, political parties within the union grew tense on the issue of slavery. In the text the author quotes Calhoun as saying “the cords holding the Union together had already begun to fray.” This is a great description of the growing animosity between the numerous party members. The most devastating blow to the Whig party was brought by the Kansas-Nebraska Act which was put forward by Stephen Douglas and repealed the Missouri Compromise and allowed popular sovereignty in the new territory of Kansas. With the split of the Whig party, some Northern Whigs joined the new American party which stood for serving the “patriotic cause of the Union.” Other Northern Whigs joined independent Democrats and Free Soilers arguing in opposition to slavery and forming what is later known as the Republican party in 1854. In 1854, at their first national convention, Republicans sought out John C. Fremont and took the first political party stance against slavery with the slogan “Free soil, free speech, and Fremont.” Republicans later named Abraham Lincoln as their 1860 presidential nominee. The Democratic party nominated James Buchanan for the 1856 election to run against Fremont. Contrary to party, slavery, union, election, northern, convention, 1860, whigs, whig, split, later, fremont, free, democrats, won, states, republicans, republican, presidential, popular, political, platform, out, new, nearing, national, named, lincoln, kansas-nebraska, joined, john, first, endorsed, douglas, democratic, buchanan