The Liberty Party was an early advocate of the abolitionist movement. It broke away from the American Anti-Slavery Society, under the belief that the United States Constitution was an anti-slavery document. Party members where abolitionists who tried to work with politics to get people to support their goals. The Liberty Party’s first gathering was November 1839 in Warsaw, New York, its first national convention was held on April 1st 1840.
The Parties nomination for President in 1840 and 1844 was James G Birney of Kentucky, a former slave owner. Birney didn’t get many votes in 1840, but in 1844 he received 62,103 votes. At their convention in Syracuse, New York in 1847 they endorsed John P Hale of New Hampshire. In August 1848 there was a meeting held in Buffalo, New York, where members from the Liberty Party, and some un-happy New York Democrats joined to form the Free Soil Party.
A member of the Liberty Party, who latter become a politically prominent Republican was Salmon P Chase. Besides Chase the Liberty Party produced 8 United States Senators, 18 Representatives, 2 Supreme Court Justices, and 5 Governors.
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