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What is "free-soil"

The Collaborative International Dictionary
Free-soil

Free-soil \Free"-soil`\, a.

  1. Pertaining to, or advocating, the non-extension of slavery; -- esp. applied to a party which was active during the period 1846-1856. [U.S.]

  2. Pertaining to territory where slavery was prohibited.

    Syn: slaveless. [WordNet 1.5] -- Free"soil`er, n. [U.S.] -- Free"-soil`ism, n. [U.S.]

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
free-soil

in U.S. history, "opposed to expansion of slavery into the territories," 1846, from free soil (n.) in reference to settled regions without slavery, from free (adj.) + soil (n.). Related: Free-soiler.

WordNet
free-soil

adj. where slavery was prohibited; "a free-soil state" [syn: slaveless]

Usage examples of "free-soil".

Northern Democrats had voted for the Free-soil candidate because of the alleged pro-slavery tendencies of their own party.

Four years later the platform of the Free-soil party contained no reference whatever to fugitive slaves, but that of 1852 denounced the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 as repugnant to the Constitution and the spirit of Christianity and denied its binding force on the American people.

In the previous October, Reeder had been chosen Free-soil delegate to Congress.

He was twice a candidate for Congress on the Free-soil ticket but failed of election.