History glossary
Free-Soil movement
a northern political movement opposing the expansion of slavery into western territories.
- Category
- Political movement
- Region
- United States
- Date range
- 1840s-1850s
What it means
The Free-Soil movement opposed the spread of slavery into western territories. Its supporters varied in motive: some opposed slavery morally, while others wanted western land reserved for free white labor. The movement helped reshape northern politics before the rise of the Republican Party.
