What Is the Opposition Party?
The Opposition Party was a short-lived political party in the United States that formed during the controversy over slavery in the middle of the 19th century. This period of political turmoil saw the formation and dissolution of a number of political parties that split on the slavery issue. Ultimately, abolitionists prevailed and slavery was outlawed in the United States, but not before the political and social landscape changed radically. The roots of the Opposition Party lie in the Whig Party, a political party that was marred with internal conflict almost from the start. In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act that allowed new territories to decide whether to enter as slave or free states caused a schism in the Whig Party. Some Whigs supported the Act, while others were infuriated that the Missouri Compromise was being disregarded. Some Whigs split off to form the abolitionist Republican Party, while a small group formed the Opposition Party. Others joined forces with the Democrats and a n
