Antebellum Political Parties

Antebellum Political Parties

Major Political Parties• Free-Soil – Anti- Slavery, pro labor

• Know Nothing- Anti- immigration, anti- Catholic

– Believed in nativism: favoring of native-born Americans over immigrants.

• Whig- pro business, divided on slavery

Republican Party

• One of the founders: Horace Greeley

• Party is founded in 1854

• Opposed – slavery in the territories–Kansas – Nebraska Act

Democratic Party

• Favored state’s rights

• Limited government

• Divided on slavery

Election of 1856

• Republican: John C. Fremont • Democrat: James Buchanan• American/Know Nothings: Millard Fillmore

Fremont Buchanan

Fillmore

Results

• Electoral Votes:– Buchanan: 174– Fremont: 114– Fillmore : 9

• Popular Votes:– Buchanan: 1,832,955– Fremont: 1,339,932– Fillmore: 871,731