The Free-Soil party was created at this time. They, "were willing to allow slavery to continue in the exisiting slave states because they supported the Union, not because they approved of slavery," (Out of Many). They wanted to end slavery in the Union and banish it from the District of Columbia.

Martin Van Buren ran in the name of this party and gained 10% of the popular vote in the North. Democrat Lewis Cass lost these votes due to this new party and therefore Zachary Taylor, a Whig, won. Lewis belived that the territories should decide whether or not slaves should be allowed, while Taylor did not discuss the issue at all.