- Opposition to the expansion of slavery into new territories.
- Commitment to the ideal of free soil, which meant that all land should be open to settlement by free people, not just slaveholders.
- Appeal to northerners who felt that the federal government was not doing enough to protect the interests of free labor.
- Support for internal improvements, such as roads and canals, which would benefit the northern economy.
Northerners who opposed the Free Soil Party were displeased by the party's:
- Radicalism and its willingness to challenge the existing social and political order.
- Threat to the Union, as some southerners feared that the party's anti-slavery stance could lead to the breakup of the country.
- Appeal to northern voters who were concerned about the impact of free black immigration on their communities.
- Lack of support for protectionist tariffs, which some northerners believed were necessary to protect American industry from foreign competition.