Which statement describes the evolution of the Republican Party from the 1850s to the 1960s? A. In the 1850s the Republican Party opposed slavery, but by the 1960s it became a conservative party willing to preserve segregation in southern states. B. The Republican Party of the 1850s was formed from three third parties, but by the 1960s had reformed into the conservative party we know today. C. In the 1850s the Republican Party wanted to preserve slavery in southern states, but by the 1960s had moved to an ideology that promoted integration. D. The Republican Party was an anti-slavery party in the 1850s that split into two factions by the 1960s, dissolving the Republican Party to form a third party.