Barnburners were members of a group in the Democratic Party of the state of New York during the 1840’s. The name came from a story about a farmer who burned down his barn to free it of rats. The Barnburners were accused of being willing to destroy the Democratic Party to achieve their own goals. They were followers of Martin Van Buren, who had served as President of the United States from 1837 to 1841. The Barnburners mainly wanted to stop the spread of slavery in the United States and to help Van Buren become President again.
During the Mexican War (1846-1848), the Barnburners supported legislation to prohibit slavery in new U.S. territories. But Congress defeated the legislation. When new lands were gained as a result of the war, the Barnburners’ opposition to slavery grew. In 1848, the Democratic Party nominated Senator Lewis Cass of Michigan for President. The Barnburners split from the Democratic Party and joined the Free Soil Party, which nominated Van Buren for President. The split led to the election of Mexican War hero Zachary Taylor, the Whig Party candidate. Later, many Barnburners joined the Republican Party.
