Free Soil Movement

The Free Soil Movement was a political effort in the mid-1800s aimed at preventing slavery from expanding into new western territories and states. Its leaders believed that making land available for free—rather than allowing it to be used for slavery—would promote free labor and opportunity for all. The movement opposed the spread of slavery but did not necessarily seek to abolish it where it already existed. It played a key role in shaping the political landscape that eventually led to the Civil War, emphasizing the importance of free, open land for economic and social development.