B.The Dilemma of Territorial Growth: When and how did slavery come into politics?
•came as a bombshell for members of Congress in South because Southern slave states claimed that to ban slavery would be outrageous way to exclude south in any victory over Mexico - why discriminate?
HIST 105 - Baum
-
opposes Wilmot Proviso - favors better solution,
“
popular sovereignty
”
= let the
people in the territory decide themselves if they want slavery or not
-
how will this work? hoping no one would ask, didn
’
t even know the answer
himself - only says allow organized territory to decide to ban slavery or come
up with slave codes
•
both anti-slavery wings meet and form brand new political party =
“
Free Soil Party
”
-
anti-slavery Liberty party members join as well
-
Candidate - Martin Van Buren
-
platform summed up as
- free soil, free speech, free men
-
hoping would make impressive impact in Northern states
-
this third party makes outcome in North unpredictable - Free Soilers say might
make a deal w/ either party to throw support to one or the other and control
balance of power in election
-
electoral politics unpredictable - ongoing re-alignment of voters which only end
and harden when Lincoln wins election in 1860
•
Taylor and Whigs win - electoral and pop. majority
-
