American History

The success of the Republican Party in the North lies in its position on slavery. The party opposed the expansion of slavery and used Congress to adopt measures to prevent its expansion. Northern voters viewed slavery as an immoral institution  a relic of barbarism (Olmstead, 38). Thus, Republicans thought that by limiting slavery within its present boundaries, the institution would be, most likely, placed to eventual extinction. In short, the Republican Party was overtly anti-slavery. However, moderate Republicans rejected abolitionism to avoid confrontation with Southern states.

Northern voters were fully aware of divided stand of the Republican Party. Indeed, some Republicans even supported a constitutional amendment guaranteeing against Congressional interference with slavery in the states. Some Republicans upheld the constitutional sanctity of slavery. Indeed, the Republican Party separated themselves from pure abolitionists by seeking diplomatic compromise over the extension and perpetuation of slavery in the South. This was in contrast to the Democrats who sought advocated the extension of slavery in free states (and even in some Northern states). Their position failed to attract support in the North, as voters preferred moderate Republicans. But in the South, the Democrats dominated the polls.

The North viewed slavery as a moral issue  a degrading, cruel, and barbaric institution. This was not without basis. The North did not depend on slavery to support agriculture. In fact, the North was a booming industrial and manufacturing region. There was little need for slaves in factories. In the South, slaves were needed to support large plantations. Indeed, more then 500 000 slaves were estimated to work in plantations and cotton factories in the South. A significant portion of them were imports from Africa. In the South, slavery was regarded as a way of life  a means to achieve economic progress.

In the North, abolitionist groups met in 1833 to discuss the future of slavery in the country. The convention boldly declared

The right to enjoy liberty is inalienable. To invade it is to usurp the prerogative of Jehovah. Every man has a right to his own bodyto the products of his own laborto the protection of lawand to the common advantages of society. It is piracy to buy or steal a native African, and subject him to servitude. Surely, the sin is as great to enslave an American as an African (Garrison, 3).

This was supported by most voters in the 1860 elections. Abraham Lincoln, a radical Republican, narrowly won the election against Democrat Stephen Douglas. In the south though, southern secessionists won the election. Lincoln was a minority president, garnering only less than 50 of the popular votes. Southern politicians saw this as an opportunity to secede from the Union. They declared that Lincoln did not get a clear mandate from the people, as far as the issue of slavery is concerned. Therefore, it was only prudent to secede from the Union. Northerners viewed this incursion as a form of political trickery, igniting anti-slavery protests in Northern states. To Lincoln, this was an opportunity to abolish slavery as an institution. For the first time in history, a majority of Republicans supported his actions.