Final answer:
The true statements about the Free-Soil Party are that both Whigs and Democrats joined it, it opposed the expansion of slavery into the territories, and Martin Van Buren was its presidential nominee. The party made a political impact in the 1848 election, despite not winning the presidency.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Free-Soil Party was a short-lived political party in the United States active from 1848 to 1854, with its main purpose being the opposition to the expansion of slavery into the western territories. Here are the true statements regarding the party:
- Both Whigs and Democrats joined the party: This is true, as disaffected members from both parties who opposed the expansion of slavery came together to form the Free-Soil Party.
- The party opposed the extension of slavery into the territories: True, the central platform of the Free-Soil Party was to prevent the spread of slavery into any newly acquired territories or states.
- Martin Van Buren ran as the party’s nominee for president: In the 1848 election, the Free-Soil Party nominated former President Martin Van Buren as its candidate.
The rest of the statements are false:
- Southerners did not outnumber Northerners in the party; it was primarily a Northern party.
- While abolitionists found a home in the party, arguing for the rights of free labor over the immorality of slavery, its primary issue was not abolitionism but rather preventing the expansion of slavery into new territories and states.
- Even though it did not win the presidency, the Free-Soil Party had a notable impact on the election of 1848, particularly in the North, where it contributed to the defeat of other candidates by drawing votes that might have otherwise gone to the Whigs or Democrats.