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Difficulty: EasyPolitical Realignment and the Election of 1860

"The Whig Party, which once stood as a national shield against sectionalism, has been utterly destroyed by the agitation of the slavery question. In its place, we see the rise of a Northern party whose sole bond of union is hostility to our domestic institutions."
—Adapted from a letter by Georgia politician Alexander Stephens, 1856

The political realignment described in the excerpt was most directly caused by which of the following?

  1. A
    The rapid growth of factory systems and labor unions during the early Market Revolution
  2. B
    The executive branch's direct enforcement of popular sovereignty in western territories
  3. Sectional debates over the expansion of slavery into western territoriesAnswer
  4. D
    Sectional disputes over federal tariff rates and industrial subsidies

Answer

Sectional debates over the expansion of slavery into western territories
The agitation surrounding the expansion of slavery, particularly after the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, destroyed the national Whig Party because its Northern and Southern members could not agree on the issue. This dispute also split the Democratic Party and led to the rise of the Republican Party, a sectional party opposed to the further extension of slavery into the territories.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document for clues about the cause of political party collapse.
The excerpt states that the Whig Party was 'utterly destroyed by the agitation of the slavery question' and notes the rise of a new Northern party.
This establishes that the core issue driving political realignment was the conflict surrounding slavery.
2
Relate the political realignment of the 1850s to the options provided.
The expansion of slavery into newly acquired western territories (such as through the Kansas-Nebraska Act) was the main debate that fractured national parties.
This directly matches the historical development of the collapse of the Whigs and the rise of the sectional Republican Party.

Key Concept

Sectional debates over slavery's expansion led to the collapse of the Whig Party and the emergence of the Republican Party, reshaping the political landscape prior to the election of 1860.
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Topics

Political Realignment and the Election of 1860

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