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Difficulty: MediumPolitical Realignment and the Election of 1860

"The election of a President, by a sectional majority, upon a platform hostile to the interests and rights of the South, is a declaration of war against the constitutional rights of the slaveholding States. The old political parties, which once stretched across the Union, have been shattered. In their place stands a sectional organization of the North, committed to the restriction of our institutions and the eventual destruction of our society."

— *Richmond Enquirer*, November 1860

The sentiments expressed in the excerpt most directly reflect which of the following developments during the 1850s?

  1. A
    The successful resolution of sectional tensions in the territories through popular sovereignty.
  2. B
    The dominance of tariff policy as the primary source of political division between the North and South.
  3. The collapse of the Whig Party and the emergence of a highly sectionalized party system.Answer
  4. D
    The unification of Northern and Southern Democrats under a moderate free-soil platform.

Answer

The collapse of the Whig Party and the emergence of a highly sectionalized party system.
The correct option is correct because the election of 1860 marked the culmination of a decade of political realignment. The Whig Party collapsed after the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, leading to the rise of the Republican Party, which was a northern, sectional party. This left the nation politically divided along sectional lines, as described in the editorial.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document to identify the core historical event and perspective.
The excerpt is a November 1860 editorial expressing southern alarm over the election of a president by a 'sectional majority' and lamenting the destruction of the 'old political parties' that once united the nation.
Understanding the context of the 1860 election and the demise of national parties is crucial for identifying the historical development being described.
2
Evaluate the historical developments of the 1850s that led to the described situation.
During the 1850s, the Second Party System collapsed as the Whig Party disintegrated, largely due to internal divisions over slavery. This allowed for the rise of the Republican Party, a purely Northern, sectional party that won the presidency in 1860.
Connecting the details in the text (shattered old parties, sectional organization of the North) to the specific political realignment of the 1850s helps isolate the correct answer.
3
Assess the options to find the one that matches this historical realignment.
The option describing the collapse of the Whig Party and the emergence of a highly sectionalized party system aligns directly with the editorial's description of shattered national parties and a sectional northern presidency.
Verifying the options against the analyzed text and historical facts confirms the correct choice.

Key Concept

Political Realignment of the 1850s
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Topics

Political Realignment and the Election of 1860

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