Free States (historical context)

Free States were regions, primarily in the North of the United States before 1861, where slavery was illegal. They contrasted with Slave States in the South, where enslaved people wereForced to work without pay. The existence of Free States highlighted the growing divide over slavery, contributing to regional tensions that eventually led to the Civil War. Free States supported policies that aimed to stop the expansion of slavery into new territories, advocating for free labor and limited government intervention to uphold their anti-slavery stance.