<P> The Act was supported by all Southerners, by Northern "Doughface" (pro-Southern) Democrats and by other Northern Democrats persuaded by Douglas' doctrine of "popular sovereignty". In the North, the old Whig Party was almost defunct . The opponents were intensely motivated and began forming a new party . </P> <P> The new party went well beyond the issue of slavery in the territories . It envisioned modernizing the United States--emphasizing giving free western land to farmers ("free soil") as opposed to letting slave owners buy up the best lands, expanded banking, more railroads and factories . They vigorously argued that free market labor was superior to slavery and the very foundation of civic virtue and true republicanism--this was the "Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men" ideology . </P> <P> The Republicans absorbed the previous traditions of its members, most of whom had been Whigs, while others had been Democrats or members of third parties (especially the Free Soil Party and the American Party, also known as the Know Nothings). Many Democrats who joined were rewarded with governorships, or seats in the U.S. Senate, or House of Representatives . Since its inception, its chief opposition has been the Democratic Party, but the amount of flow back and forth of prominent politicians between the two parties was quite high from 1854 to 1896 . </P> <P> Historians have explored the ethnocultural foundations of the party, along the line that ethnic and religious groups set the moral standards for their members, who then carried those standards into politics . The churches also provided social networks that politicians used to sign up voters . The pietistic churches emphasized the duty of the Christian to purge sin from society . Sin took many forms--alcoholism, polygamy and slavery became special targets for the Republicans . </P>

Who formed the party and when was it founded