Question

question 20

following the passage of the kansas-nebraska act in 1854, the ______ faded, and northerners, abolitionists, and others formed a new political partnership called the ______.

• democratic party; republican party
• whig party; republican party
• democratic party; free soil party
• whig party; democratic party

Explanation:

Analyze the historical context of 1854

The passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, championed by Stephen A. Douglas, repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820 by allowing popular sovereignty to determine the status of slavery in the new territories. This act deeply divided the nation along sectional lines and shattered the existing Second Party System.

Identify the political party that collapsed

The Whig Party, which had been internally divided over the expansion of slavery, completely fractured and faded from national prominence following the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Southern Whigs largely aligned with the Democrats or the Know-Nothings, while Northern Whigs sought a new political home.

Identify the new political coalition

In response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, anti-slavery Northerners, former Whigs, Free-Soilers, and anti-slavery Democrats united. This new political partnership formed the Republican Party in 1854, dedicated to preventing the westward expansion of slavery.

Match the blanks to the options

• First blank (the party that faded): Whig Party
• Second blank (the new political partnership): Republican Party
• This corresponds to the second option: "Whig Party; Republican Party".

Answer:

• (A) Democratic Party; Republican Party
• (B) Whig Party; Republican Party (Correct answer)
• (C) Democratic Party; Free Soil Party
• (D) Whig Party; Democratic Party