Why did the Whigs gain support in the South in 1836? The Republican Party formed an alliance with reformers in the Democratic Party, causing the Democrats to embrace abolitionism. Southern voters felt they could not trust the northern Democratic nominee for president, Martin Van Buren, on the slavery question. Andrew Jackson, the outgoing president and a southern Democrat, switched parties and embraced the Whig platform. The Democratic Party in the North collapsed as industrial workers flocked to smaller, localized parties, leaving southern Democrats exposed. Correct Answer Southern voters felt they could not trust the northern Democratic nominee for president, Martin Van Buren, on the slavery question.

The Whigs gained support in the South in 1836 because Southern voters felt they could not trust the northern Democratic nominee for president, Martin Van Buren, on the slavery question.

Explanation:

The presidential election of 1836 is distinguished by several features. The Whig Party immediately put forward three candidates against Vice President Martin Van Buren, who represented the Democratic Party, in the hope that the latter would not gain a majority anywhere and that the House of Representatives would decide on the candidate. However, this tactic did not materialize: Van Buren was elected by a majority vote.

Despite this victory, Van Buren lost the support of many voters in the south of the country, usually voters of the Democratic Party. This was mainly due to the doubts that southern voters had regarding Van Buren's position on slavery, based on certain policies proposed by him to prohibit the importation of new slaves during his tenure as United States Senator.

The truth is that the Southerners had valid reasons for their doubts, because Van Buren continued to oppose slavery throughout his political career, which led him to form a new party, the Free Soil Party, with the aim of achieving abolition.