Why Did the Republican Party Call for "Free Soil" in the Territories

question 15

Multiple Choice

Why did the Republican Party call for "free soil" in the territories rather than freedom for African Americans?

• A) Focusing on land rather than people would make it easier to pass legislation through Congress.
• B) The party knew that achieving its dream of liberating all African Americans was unrealistic, so it settled on the compromise of "free soil."
• C) The party was focusing on "free soil" as a first step in the eventual freedom of all African Americans.
• D) Putting the focus on the laws of the land rather than the freedom of African Americans would prevent isolating the hard line racists in the party.
• E) Abolitionism conflicted with the North's commitment to both white supremacy and the original constitutional compromise about slavery.

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