Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Prohibiting slavery.
  • adjective Opposing the extension of slavery before the US Civil War.
  • adjective Of or being a US political party founded in 1848 to oppose the extension of slavery into US territories and the admission of slave states into the Union.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In favor of free soil or territory—that is, opposed to slavery.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective U.S. Pertaining to, or advocating, the non-extension of slavery; -- esp. applied to a party which was active during the period 1846-1856.
  • adjective U.S. Pertaining to territory where slavery was prohibited.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective where slavery was prohibited

Etymologies

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Examples

  • All of the organized territories were likely to become free-soil states, which increased the Southern movement toward secession.

    DNC: Barbour 'defended the indefensible' 2010

  • “To the free-soil town of Lawrence,” replied Papa.

    PIONEER SUMMER Deborah Hopkinson 2010

  • “To the free-soil town of Lawrence,” replied Papa.

    PIONEER SUMMER Deborah Hopkinson 2010

  • “To the free-soil town of Lawrence,” replied Papa.

    PIONEER SUMMER Deborah Hopkinson 2010

  • In his “house divided” speeches he made it clear that he thought that the country must either become all slave owning or all free-soil with free-soil being his preference.

    Today’s History Lesson: Lincoln’s Disagreement with Obamaism - Warner_Todd_Huston’s blog - RedState 2009

  • He had the idea of setting up a free-soil settlement north of New Orleans.

    May 2004 2004

  • The fat Senator Samuel Pomeroy, a hero of the free-soil struggle in Kansas before the Civil War, was exposed for bribery in his own reelection.

    Mark Twain Ron Powers 2005

  • The fat Senator Samuel Pomeroy, a hero of the free-soil struggle in Kansas before the Civil War, was exposed for bribery in his own reelection.

    Mark Twain Ron Powers 2005

  • As Charlie watched, Papa and the other free-soil men formed a line, blocking the road.

    CABIN IN THE SNOW Deborah Hopkinson 2002

  • The trouble began on November 21, 1855, when a free-soil settler named Charles Dow was shot by his neighbor, Franklin Coleman, a proslavery man.

    CABIN IN THE SNOW Deborah Hopkinson 2002

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