Free Soil: The Election of 1848

The presidential election of 1848, known as the Free Soil election, marked the emergence of antislavery sentiment as a determining political force on a national scale. In this book Joseph G. Rayback provides the first comprehensive history of the campaign and the election, documenting his analysis with contemporary letters and newspaper accounts.

The progress of the campaign is examined in light of the Free Soil movement: agitation for Free Soil candidates and platforms at the national conv...