Presented by: Craig Jochman, Trevor Jordan, and Daniel Ramiro

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In March 1855, after Greeley became frustrated with the Whig Party’s shifting position on slavery, he issued a call to arms for the friends of freedom to be girding up their loins for future contests and join a new antislavery political party, the Republican Party. The Coming of the Civil War Greeley’s appeal accurately reflected the changing national political scene. With the continuing tension over slavery, many Americans needed a national political voice. That voice was to be the Republican Party.

General Winfield Scott became the Whig nominee for president.

North Whigs opposed the slave acts and Southern Whigs are pro-slavery.

The Whig vote fell from 50% to thirty five percent handing the election to Franklin Pierce, a Democrat.

Whig Party Logo

Nativism is a belief that was used by a secret organization.

Nativism is favoring of native-born Americans compared to immigrants.

They were told never to answer any questions about their society, so when they were asked they said “I know nothing.”

It became known as the Know Nothing Party. it was formed in 1854.

The Know-Nothing Party was composed of primarily middle-class protestants, and they were dismayed to a total number of new immigrants and Catholics, nativists supported the know-nothing candidates. They split over the issues of slavery. southerners looked to become democrats. Northerner Know-Nothings began to edge towards the Republicans.

Know-Nothing Flag, 1800s

Why were the Free-Soil and Republican Parties formed? What issues did they support or oppose?

 

The Free-Soil party was formed because even if some of the northerners didn’t approve of abolition, they opposed the extension of slavery into the territories. They objected to the effect of slaves to free white workers who are affected by the wage based labor force.

The Republican Parties were formed because they wanted to reject the Kansas-Nebraska act.

The Free-Soil Party eventually joined up with other small parties and joined to Republicans.

Republican Logo

Describe the issues, candidates, and electoral results of the election of

1856.

Stephen A. Douglas was nominated by the Democratic party but his reputation was badly damaged by the ongoing violence in Kansas. The Democrats replaced him with James Buchanan who had been the minister to Britain from 1853 to 1856 and he was not linked to the Kansas issue. Buchanan was popular in the south because of his involvement in the Ostend Manifesto.

Stephen A. Douglas

Election of 1856candidates

Party Electoral Vote Popular vote

James Buchanan (PA)John C. Breckinridge (KY)

Democratic 174 1,832,955

John C. Frémont (CA)William L. Dayton (NJ)

Republican 114 1,339,932

Millard Fillmore (NY)Andrew J. Donelson (TN)

American 8 871,731

Politics Tutorial- The Evolution of America’s Major Political Parties.

CITATION-