Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyPolitical Realignment and the Election of 1860

Excerpt from the Republican Party Platform, 1860:

"That the normal condition of all the territory of the United States is that of freedom... [and] we deny the authority of Congress, of a territorial legislature, or of any individuals, to give legal existence to slavery in any territory of the United States."

Based on this excerpt, which of the following positions did the Republican Party take on the issue of slavery in the election of 1860?

  1. Slavery should be prohibited from expanding into the western territories.Answer
  2. B
    Individual territories should use popular sovereignty to decide the status of slavery.
  3. C
    Slavery should be protected in all territories to secure federal tariff revenue.
  4. D
    Slavery must be immediately abolished in every state through a new constitutional amendment.

Answer

Slavery should be prohibited from expanding into the western territories.
The correct option is correct because the Republican Party's platform in 1860 was centered on the non-extension of slavery. The excerpt explicitly states that freedom is the normal condition of federal territories and denies the power of any body to legalize slavery there.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document from the 1860 Republican Platform.
The text states that the 'normal condition of all the territory... is that of freedom' and denies that Congress or legislatures can give slavery 'legal existence' in any territory.
This establishes the Republican stance on slavery in the territories.
2
Evaluate the answer choices to find the one matching the party's official position.
The position opposing the expansion of slavery into the territories matches the platform's rejection of slavery in federal territories.
This identifies the correct option based on historical facts and the provided text.

Key Concept

Political Realignment and the Election of 1860
Rate this question

Topics

Political Realignment and the Election of 1860

More questions from this topic