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Difficulty: Very hardPolitical Realignment and the Election of 1860

"Resolved, That the government of a Territory, organized by an Act of Congress, is provisional and temporary; and during its existence, all citizens of the United States have an equal right to settle with their property in the Territory without their rights, either of person or property, being destroyed or impaired by congressional or territorial legislation.

Resolved, That it is the duty of the Federal government, in all its departments, to protect, when necessary, the rights of persons and property in the Territories, and wherever else its constitutional authority extends."
— Platform of the National Democratic Party (Southern Wing), 1860

Which of the following historical developments is most directly illustrated by the resolutions in the excerpt?

  1. A
    The codification of popular sovereignty as the consensus doctrine within the Democratic Party to resolve territorial disputes.
  2. B
    The primary alignment of Southern political factions against Northern industrialists over federal tariff policies.
  3. The fragmentation of the Democratic Party over the issue of federal protection of slavery in the territories, which facilitated the election of Abraham Lincoln.Answer
  4. D
    The revival of early republic debates regarding loose versus strict construction of federal infrastructure spending.

Answer

The fragmentation of the Democratic Party over the issue of federal protection of slavery in the territories, which facilitated the election of Abraham Lincoln.
The platform of the Southern wing of the Democratic Party demanded federal protection for slavery in all territories, representing a complete rejection of popular sovereignty. This uncompromising stance split the Democratic Party into Northern and Southern factions, allowing Abraham Lincoln to win the presidency with a plurality of the popular vote and a majority in the electoral college.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the text of the Southern Democratic platform resolutions from 1860.
The platform demands that the federal government protect the property rights of slaveholders in the territories and denies the power of Congress or territorial legislatures to ban slavery.
Understanding the core argument of the platform helps identify which political faction's ideology is represented.
2
Relate these demands to the political context of the election of 1860.
Southern Democrats rejected Stephen Douglas's concept of popular sovereignty, leading to a major split in the party at the Charleston and Baltimore conventions.
This links the specific platform text to the broader realignment of political parties immediately preceding the election.
3
Determine the impact of the Democratic Party split on the election outcome.
With the Democratic vote divided between Stephen Douglas (Northern Democrat) and John C. Breckinridge (Southern Democrat), the Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln secured the presidency.
This explains the direct historical consequence of the political realignment illustrated in the platform excerpt.

Key Concept

Political Realignment and the Election of 1860
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Political Realignment and the Election of 1860

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