Which of the following laws would the free-soil party have supported?
The Free-Soil Party, active in the mid-19th century United States, focused on opposing the expansion of slavery into newly formed territories. Based on this opposition, they supported several key laws:
1. Wilmot Proviso: The Free-Soil Party would have supported the Wilmot Proviso, which aimed to ban slavery in any territories acquired from Mexico during the Mexican-American War.
2. Homestead Act: The Free-Soil Party also supported the Homestead Act, which provided free land in the western territories to anyone willing to settle and improve the land. This act aimed to promote the goals of free soil by encouraging small family farms and preventing large plantation systems that relied on slave labor.
3. Fugitive Slave Act of 1850: The Free-Soil Party strongly opposed the Fugitive Slave Act, which required the return of escaped slaves to their owners, even in free states. They viewed this law as a violation of states' rights, as it forced individuals and officials to cooperate in enforcing slavery.
4. Kansas-Nebraska Act: The Free-Soil Party opposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed the residents of these territories to decide the slavery question through popular sovereignty. They believed this act would lead to pro-slavery forces dominating both territories.
Overall, the Free-Soil Party supported laws that would prevent the expansion of slavery into new territories and sought to limit the influence of slaveholding interests.
To determine which laws the Free-Soil Party would have supported, we need to understand some background about the party. The Free-Soil Party was a political party in the United States during the mid-19th century. It emerged in the 1848 presidential election and opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories.
Now, let's examine the options and identify which laws the Free-Soil Party would likely have supported:
1. The Indian Removal Act: The Free-Soil Party would not have supported this act. Although the party's primary focus was on opposing the expansion of slavery, they also advocated for the rights and well-being of Native American tribes.
2. The Fugitive Slave Act: The Free-Soil Party would have opposed this act. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was seen as an extension of slavery into free states, as it required individuals in free states to assist in capturing and returning escaped slaves to their owners.
3. The Homestead Act: The Free-Soil Party would have supported this act. The Homestead Act of 1862 offered free land to settlers willing to develop and improve it. The party saw this as an opportunity for small farmers to have access to land and economic independence, thereby limiting the influence of large slaveholding plantations.
From analyzing the options, we can conclude that the Free-Soil Party would have supported the Homestead Act (option 3).
A. The Fugitive Slave Act
B. The Homestead Act
C. The Kansas-Nebraska Act
D. The Missouri Compromise
Answer: B. The Homestead Act