The People's Party
It all started with
people who opposed slavery. They were common, everyday people who bristled at
the notion that men had any right to oppress their fellow man. In the early
1850’s, these anti-slavery activists found commonality with rugged individuals
looking to settle in western lands, free of government charges. “Free soil,
free labor, free speech, free men,” went the slogan. And it was thus in joint
opposition to human enslavement and government tyranny that an enterprising
people gave birth to the Republican Party.
The first meeting in
which the name ‘Republican” was offered for a new party was held at Ripon,
Wisconsin on March 20, 1854. The first
statewide convention that formed a platform and nominated candidates as Republican
was held near Jackson, Michigan, on July 6, 1854. In 1856, the Republicans became a national
party by nominating John C. Fremont for President. Four years later, with the
election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, the Republicans firmly established
themselves as a major political party. The name "Republican" was
chosen because it alluded to equality and reminded individuals of Thomas
Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party.
All of Us Equal
In 1861, the Civil War
erupted, lasting four grueling years. During the war, against the advice of his
cabinet, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the
slaves. The Republicans of the day worked to pass the Thirteenth Amendment,
which outlawed slavery; the Fourteenth Amendment, which guaranteed equal
protection under the laws; and the Fifteenth, which helped secure voting rights
for African-Americans. All of these accomplishments extended and cemented
the fundamental freedoms our nation continues to enjoy today.
The Republican Party
also played a leading role in securing women the right to vote. In 1896, the
Republican Party was the first major political party to support women's
suffrage. When the 19th Amendment finally was added to the Constitution, 26 of
36 state legislatures that had voted to ratify it were under Republican
control. The first woman elected to Congress was a Republican, Jeanette Rankin
from Montana in 1917. So it was by hardworking Republican hands that color and
gender barriers were first demolished in America.
Free from Oppression
Republicans
believe individuals, not government, can make the best decisions; all
people are entitled to equal rights; and decisions are best made close to home.
These basic principles are as true today as they were when the Party was
founded. For all of the extraordinary leaders the Party has produced throughout
its rich history, Republicans understand that everyday people in all 50 states
and territories remain the heart and soul of our Party.
Presidents during most
of the late nineteenth century and the early part of the twentieth century were
Republicans. The White House was in Republican hands under Presidents Dwight D.
Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and
George W. Bush. Under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, the United
States won the Cold War, releasing millions from Communist oppression, in
true anti-big government Republican spirit.
Elephants and the G.O.P.
The symbol of the Republican
Party is the elephant. During the mid term elections in 1874, Democrats tried
to scare voters into thinking President Ulysses S. Grant would seek to run for
an unprecedented third term. Thomas Nast, a cartoonist for Harper's Weekly,
depicted a Democratic donkey trying to scare a Republican elephant - and
both symbols stuck. For a long time, Republicans have been known as the
"G.O.P." with party faithful believing it meant the
"Grand Old Party." But apparently the original meaning (in 1875) was
"gallant old party." When automobiles were invented it also came to
mean, "get out and push." That's still a pretty good slogan for
Republicans who depend every campaign year on the hard work of hundreds of
thousands of everyday volunteers to get out and vote and push people to support
the causes of the Republican Party.
Freedom Fighters
Abolition. Free speech.
Women's suffrage. These were all causes the Republican Party adopted early
on. So, too, were reducing the size of government, streamlining bureaucracy, and
returning power to individual states. With a core belief in the primacy of
individuals, the Republican Party, since its inception, has been at the
forefront of the fight for individuals' rights in opposition to a large,
intrusive government.
Historical source: RNC & Wikipedia
