In the 1850s the abolitionist movement succeeded in ensuring that at least part of its message reached mainstream politics. Historian Herbert Aphtheke argued that three main philosophies existed among abolitionists; moral suasion moral suasion with political action and finally resistance through physical action. While abolitionists such as William Lloyd Garrison practiced the philosophy of moral suasion, others such as Frederick Douglas and Gerrit Smith shifted their thinking to include all three philosophies. Meetings of the National Negro Conventions were held focusing on the burning issue; How can moral persuasion and the political system be used to end slavery? In 1840, radical abolitionists formed the Freedom Party, which pursued the emancipation of slavery through mainstream politics. The Party itself was divided into two factions; Radical political abolitionists in New York, under the leadership of Gerrit Smith, declared slavery illegal everywhere and urged Northerners to go to the South to help slaves escape. While the latter Liberty group rejected these tactics. He proposed that Northerners should focus on ending slavery where Congress had authority, while encouraging the formation of abolitionist political parties in Southern states. Although the Freedom Party was not popular with voters, this is seen by historians as a significant development in the abolitionist movement. The most important result of the Fugitive Slave Law was that it convinced some Northerners that the government was in the hands of a sinister slave. Conspiracy of power. To many Northerners the Kansas-Nebraska Act was further evidence of an ongoing conspiracy in Congress. This led to the creation of a new political system... made of paper..., there were 33 states in the Union and free Kansas was about to join. At the time of his inauguration, 5 months later, only 27 states remained. On the day of his inauguration, Lincoln addressed the South directly, reiterating that he would not interfere with slavery, but he denied any state's right to secede and vowed to defend federal installations. The Union was being radicalized and they were being taken in directions they didn't want to go,” argued historian Shelby Foote, summarizing the South's reaction to Lincoln's victory and shedding light on why some Southern states seceded. Following Abraham Lincoln's presidential victory in 1860 marked a turning point in the abolitionist movement and America as a whole. Convinced that their way of life was threatened, Southern states began to secede from the Union.