When the Republican Party formed, what was its primary goal?

Question

1. to keep popular sovereignty
2. to maintain the series of compromises
3. to keep slavery out of the territories
4. to abolish slavery altogether

Answer 1

When the Republican Party was formed in the 1850s, its primary goal was 3. to keep slavery out of the territories. The party emerged in response to the expansion of slavery into the western territories, particularly following the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. While some members favored the abolition of slavery, the party as a whole primarily focused on preventing the spread of slavery into new areas rather than seeking immediate abolition.