administrations, but vanished in the North after 1850. The name was retained in the South till 1860.

Liberty Party. In 1839 a political organization was formed calling itself the Liberty party, but generally known as the ANTI-SLAVERY or ABOLITIONIST party. It was composed of the opponents of slavery, and merged in 1848 into the Free-Soil party.1

Free-Soil Party.-This organization, formed in 1848 by seceding Whigs, was composed of those who opposed the extension of slavery into the Territories. It absorbed the Liberty party.

American Party.-An organization called the Native American party was formed in New York in 1835. It opposed the rapid naturalization and office-holding of foreigners. It disappeared after 1845, and was succeeded in 1852 by a similar organization, whose motto was "Americans shall rule America." This, called the American party, was secret in its operations, and became known as the KNOW-NOTHING party, as its members, when questioned, professed to know nothing about its secrets. It spread widely, but continued only a few years.

Republican Party.-In 1854-55 an organization was formed known as "Anti-Nebraska Men," and opposed to the further extension of slavery. They soon adopted the name Republican, under which they were known in the election year of 1856. This party absorbed the remnants

During a meeting at Tammany Hall, New York, in 1835, there was much confusion, during which the lights were suddenly extinguished. The meeting was partly made up of a faction of the Democrats, called the Equal Rights party. Some of these were provided with what were then known as loco-foco natches (invented in 1829), and the candles were soon relighted. Thence this party became known as the LocoFoco party.

of the Whigs, Free-Soilers, Americans, and other minor organizations. It advocated a high protective tariff, strong central government, and the non-extension of slavery. It continues one of the leading parties of the country.1

National Prohibition Party.-This organization, often called the TEMPERANCE party, was formed in 1869, and advocates the prohibition of the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors.2

Greenback Party.-This organization was formed in 1876, and advocated an unlimited issue of "greenbacks," or government paper currency. It soon disappeared.

People's Party.-An organization of farmers, known as the FARMERS' ALLIANCE, was formed about 1873, for the purpose of securing legislation in favor of agricultural interests. In 1885 a similar party was formed, under the name of FARMERS' UNION. These parties were combined in 1889 as the NATIONAL FARMERS' ALLIANCE, whose platform made more extended and radical demands.

In addition to these there have been various labor parties, the UNITED LABOR, the PROGRESSIVE LABOR, the NATIONAL, etc., of which the UNION LABOR party, formed in 1887, became the successor. From these various organizations in favor of agriculture and labor arose in 1891 the PEOPLE'S party, more commonly known as the POPULIST party. The

1 In 1860 a Southern section of the Democratic party, favoring slavery, took the title of the National Democratic party. Another Southern party, formed from fragments of the Whigs and Americans, called itself the Constitutional Union party. They each made a nomination in that year.

2

In 1871 a reform section of the Republican party fused with the Democrats, under the name of the Liberal Republican. It disappeared in 1876. The "Stalwarts" were a section of the Republicans who supported Grant for a third term in 1880, and the “Mugwumps" the independent Republicans who opposed Blaine in 1884.

platform of this was strongly radical and socialistic in its demands, advocating the free coinage of silver, government ownership of railroads and telegraphs, government loans on farm produce, etc.1

4. THE STORY OF SLAVERY.

Introduction of Slavery. In the annals of Virginia for 1619 we find the following remark by Rolfe, who married Pocahontas and introduced the culture of tobacco: "About the last of August came in a Dutch marine-of-war, that sold us 20 Negars." With this brief record began the long chain of events that led to the great Civil War.

At that period slavery was common in the civilized world, and all the maritime nations of Europe traded in negroes. There were already multitudes of slaves in the West Indies, and now they were introduced into the first British colony.

The Apprentice System.-Slaves did not increase rapidly in Virginia. Numbers of "apprentices," as they were called, were sent to that and most of the other colonies. These were whites, who were indentured to the planters for a number of years, and kept in a state of servitude that was like slavery. Some of them were criminals, some prisoners of war, some kidnapped persons, some homeless children, while some had bound themselves voluntarily that they might get to America.

Spread of Slavery. The system of slave-holding gradually extended until every colony had slaves. Oglethorpe

1 The 1896 and 1900 elections brought new parties and factions into the field, including the Silver Republican and the National (gold) Democratic,-which opposed the main bodies of their respective parties on the question of the monetary standard, -and two factions of the Populist party. There were also the Nationalist, the Socialist Labor, the Social Democratic, and the United Christian parties.

tried to keep them out of Georgia, but failed. Slaves were never very numerous in the North. They were of no particular advantage in the fields, and were kept chiefly in the cities, as house-servants. In the South they were principally employed as field-hands, and proved very useful in colonial times in the cultivation of tobacco, indigo, and rice. Malarial fever made the rice-fields dangerous to whites, while it seldom attacked the blacks.

Growth of Slavery.-By the year 1740 about one hundred and thirty thousand negroes had been brought to this country. By 1776 more than three hundred thousand had been brought here, and there were probably five hundred thousand in the country. In 1790 there were six hundred and fifty-seven thousand slaves in the South and forty thousand three hundred in the North. These were found in every State except Massachusetts-and Maine, which was part of it. New York had more than twenty thousand. Here they were employed on the farms as well as in the houses. Indentured servants largely took the place of slaves in Pennsylvania.

The State constitution of Vermont (not yet admitted to the Union) in 1777, of Massachusetts in 1780, and of New Hampshire in 1783, abolished slavery. Pennsylvania provided for gradual abolition in 1780, Rhode Island and Connecticut in 1784, New York in 1799, and New Jersey in 1804. By 1810 there were no slaves in the States north of the Mason and Dixon line.

Slave Insurrections.-The first serious insurrection of the slaves took place in New York City in 1712. They were treated severely, twenty-four being put to death, some of them in the cruel ways then common. An uprising of slaves took place in South Carolina in 1740, and was only quelled by force of arms. In 1741, on an alarm of an intended

insurrection in New York City, thirty-three slaves were executed, thirteen of them being put to death by fire. In those days people were far more cruel than they are today.

Objections to Slavery.-Slavery was objected to at an early date, and movements in favor of emancipation began soon after 1700. Many of the people of Virginia, and even of Carolina, showed a preference for white labor. The rapid increase of slaves was due to England, not to America. Laws to restrict the importation of slaves were numerous in colonial times, but Great Britain found the slave-trade profitable and persisted in sending negroes, whom the colonists were forced to accept.1

The feeling of Americans in the eighteenth century is shown by the action of the Second Continental Congress, which, on April 6, 1776, resolved "that no slaves should be imported into any of the thirteen united colonies." This decree was not carried out. A second indication was shown in 1787, in the ordinance for the government of the Northwest Territory, which decreed that slavery should be forever excluded from that Territory. In 1790 a petition was presented to Congress, headed by the name of Benjamin Franklin, asking for legislation looking to the ultimate extinction of slavery. Washington and Jefferson both favored this measure. It was fully debated in Congress, which finally decided that this question belonged to the States, and was beyond the powers of the Federal government.

Slavery in the Constitution.-The word "slave" does not occur in the Constitution. Slaves are designated as

1 Bancroft says, "The sovereigns of England and Spain were the greatest slave-merchants in the world."