The primary goal of the Republican Party when it formed in the mid-1850s was to oppose the expansion of slavery into the western territories of the United States. The party was founded in 1854, primarily by anti-slavery activists, former members of the Whig Party, and members of the Free Soil Party. They believed that the institution of slavery was morally wrong and sought to halt its expansion, as they saw it as a threat to American principles of liberty and equality. The Republican Party aimed to protect the economic interests and rights of the free laborers in the northern states and advocated for policies that favored industrial development, internal improvements, and protective tariffs.
So to abolish slavery?
IS IT TO ABOLISH SLAVERY
When the Republican Party formed, what was its primary goal? • to keep popular sovereignty • to keep slavery out of the territories • to abolish slavery altogether • to maintain the series of compromises
