AHC/WI: A left-leaning/centre-left abolitionist party in 1854

Thomas1195

Banned
Instead of the OTL Republican Party, have an actual left-leaning/centre-left party becoming the main anti-slavery party opposing the Democrats in 1854-1856, which would consist of liberal reformists (Horace Mann, Charles Sumner, Charles Francis Adams...), labour leaders (Benjamin Wade), German 1848 radicals...and maybe progressive businessmen, but the most conservative GOP members IOTL would join American Party. Basically this party would look like the UK Liberal Party or German Progress Party, maybe except for the tariff position.

The challenge is to make that party the second party opposing the Dems.
 

samcster94

Banned
Instead of the OTL Republican Party, have an actual left-leaning/centre-left party becoming the main anti-slavery party opposing the Democrats in 1854-1856, which would consist of liberal reformists (Horace Mann, Charles Sumner, Charles Francis Adams...), labour leaders (Benjamin Wade), German 1848 radicals...and maybe progressive businessmen, but the most conservative GOP members IOTL would join American Party. Basically this party would look like the UK Liberal Party or German Progress Party, maybe except for the tariff position.

The challenge is to make that party the second party opposing the Dems.
I think the American/Know Nothing needs a better position on slavery to do better(like them arguing for the status quo or something). There was the Free Soil Party earlier, what can they do?
 

Thomas1195

Banned
I think the American/Know Nothing needs a better position on slavery to do better(like them arguing for the status quo or something). There was the Free Soil Party earlier, what can they do?
This party would not be some kind of single-issue party like the Free Soil, but a proper National Party like the Whig or OTL Republican, but without the conservative wing of the OTL GOP (the least abolitionist members), which would be part of Know Nothing ITTL. Meanwhile, the most progressive members of Know Nothing (like Thaddeus Stevens) would move to this party. The OTl moderate GOP (like Lincoln) would also be in this party ITTL.
 

samcster94

Banned
This party would not be some kind of single-issue party like the Free Soil, but a proper National Party like the Whig or OTL Republican, but without the conservative wing of the OTL GOP (the least abolitionist members), which would be part of Know Nothing ITTL. Meanwhile, the most progressive members of Know Nothing (like Thaddeus Stevens) would move to this party. The OTl moderate GOP (like Lincoln) would also be in this party ITTL.
I think having the Mexican-American war go differently(like Mexico still loses but the U.S. does worse in its performance) might lead to this.
 
Maybe have some sort of Reform Party tackling various reform movements in the 1840s pop up and swallow the Free Soilers and disaffected Whigs and Democrats?
 

Thomas1195

Banned
That might make Northerners resent the South more if the war is a less clear cut victory.
Larger backlash would make the GOP an even bigger tent.

The purpose here is to limit the GOP to just moderate/liberal/radical only, while conservatives go to American Party.
 
Larger backlash would make the GOP an even bigger tent.

The purpose here is to limit the GOP to just moderate/liberal/radical only, while conservatives go to American Party.

What would happen to those who were anti-slavery, who detest what the American Party stood for, but were conservative in everything else? A lot of GOP members were Whigs who were conservatives in everything except slavery and who were loathe to join an anti-immigrant party.

A lot of GOP conservatives joined the party because they opposed the expansion of slavery. And were not nativists. But that did not make them liberal on other matters.
 
Larger backlash would make the GOP an even bigger tent.

The purpose here is to limit the GOP to just moderate/liberal/radical only, while conservatives go to American Party.


For how long?

The US political system being what it is, one of two things must happen. Either the enlarged Know-Nothing Party becomes the new "Second party" and the Republicans are marginalised or absorbed, or else it disappears, and its members split between Reps and Dems. If those conservative elements join (or rejoin) the GOP, then little or nothing changes from OTL. If, OTOH, they go over to the Democrats, that creates a "one and a half party system" with the Republicans winning only once in a blue moon, if ever.
 
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