The Free Soil idea in the West appealed to racist northerners who worried about competing against black laborers.

The Free Soil movement, which was prominent in the mid-19th century, opposed the expansion of slavery into the western territories. While it attracted support from those opposed to the institution of slavery on moral grounds, it also appealed to racist northerners who did not want to compete against black laborers, free or enslaved, in the new territories. This aspect of the movement highlights the complex motivations behind opposition to slavery's expansion, including economic self-interest and racial prejudice, not just moral opposition to slavery itself.