Why did the Whig Party collapse during the 1850s?

What will be an ideal response?


Students should draw on earlier chapters to understand what the Whigs stood for. As a party of evangelicals and compromisers, the Whigs lost their focus during the tumultuous 1850s. The influx of Catholic immigrants angered their constituency, an anger that was intensified by the party's attempts (however ineptly) to appeal to these Irish and German immigrants. This left the Whigs vulnerable to single-issue groups like the Know-Nothings. The Whigs' willingness to seek compromise in the face of the "slave power" left them vulnerable to the equally single-issue Republican Party.

History

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Which of the following best describes the Hanseatic League?

a. An economic and defensive alliance of free towns in northern Germany. b. The basic alignment for the Fourth Crusade. c. A treaty involving Latin Europe's agricultural resources. d. A reliable transportation infrastructure. e. The beginning of the guild system.

History

The representative from New York who proposed an 1819 amendment prohibiting slavery in Missouri was

A. John C. Calhoun. B. James Tallmadge Jr. C. Rufus King. D. John Jacob Astor. E. Henry Clay.

History

Which of the following best defines the term polis?

A. a city-state in which all the inhabitants were invested in a type of self-rule B. a city-state in which all inhabitants were equal C. a city-state based on the absolute rule of a single king or queen D. the urban capitol of an empire

History

What did Federalists believe about the proper role of elected officials?

A) They should focus on serving the needs of other elected officials first. B) They should respond to shifts in public opinion quickly. C) They should rule on behalf of the people, but be independent of direct popular influence.

History