Final answer:
Whitman opposed the expansion of slavery because he believed in the moral and political equality of all individuals, aligning with abolitionist ideals. Antislavery advocates also feared that slavery's expansion would degrade White labor and hinder economic opportunities for non-slaveholders in the West. The correct option is C.
Step-by-step explanation:
Whitman opposed the expansion of slavery primarily because he believed in the moral and political equality of all individuals. This viewpoint conforms with the radical abolitionists of the time, who advocated for the end of slavery and a society where Black and White people were equal. However, there were varying attitudes among those who opposed the expansion of slavery.
The antislavery advocates were concerned that slavery in the West would degrade White labor, casting a stigma on hard work and hindering the economic advancement of White workers, particularly small farmers and laborers. The presence of slavery made the land inaccessible to these small farmers and reduced their ability to compete economically, as no one would pay a White worker a decent wage when an enslaved person could work for free.
This devalued the dignity of labor in a society where work was not just a means of income, but also a source of personal dignity. Additionally, the Free-Soil Party worried that the expansion of slavery would undermine the dignity of free labor and shift the political balance in favor of the South, potentially affecting the entire nation's future.