Question

Before the presidential election of 1860, the Democratic Party broke up into two different groups. There were the Northern Democrats and the Southern Democrats. What issue made the party break up?
A.
the price of cotton
B.
the introduction of tariffs
C.
the expansion out west
D.
the expansion of slavery

Answer 1

The issue that caused the Democratic Party to break up into Northern Democrats and Southern Democrats before the presidential election of 1860 was **D. the expansion of slavery**. The Northern Democrats were generally opposed to the expansion of slavery into the new territories, while the Southern Democrats supported its expansion. This deep ideological divide over slavery was a significant factor leading up to the Civil War.