In 1854, the Democrats in control of the 33rd Congress were moving toward passage of their Kansas-Nebraska Act, allowing slavery to expand into the western territories. Championing the bill was Stephen Douglas, the senator who would be the Democratic Party’s 1860 presidential nominee. The Democrat President at the time, Franklin Pierce, said he would sign the bill into law. The Democratic Party had chosen to promote slavery.
Amid the intense reaction, a grassroots movement similar to today’s Tea Parties sprang up to oppose the extension of slavery. At town meetings and demonstrations, anti-slavery activists voiced their opposition to the “Slave-ocrats” and organized the Republican Party. A small gathering in Ripon, Wisconsin, on March 20, is credited with being the first to use the Republican label.
On July 6, 1854, the Republican Party held in Jackson, Michigan its first-ever state convention. So many people attended – over 10,000 – that the meeting was held outdoors, Under the Oaks.
Just four months later, one of the founders of the Michigan Republican Party, anti-slavery activist Kinsley Bingham, was elected our nation’s first Republican governor. And, another of the original Michigan Republicans, Zachariah Chandler, became one of the first Republicans in the U.S. Senate. Senator Chandler, a former mayor of Detroit and leader of the Underground Railroad, went on to serve as Chairman of the Republican National Committee.
“If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong.”
Abraham Lincoln (R-IL), 1864
As the GOP struggles defend the nation from Barack Obama and the Democrat onslaught, the party should draw inspiration from its heroes. To quote Back to Basics for the Republican Party, “The more we Republican know about the history of our party, the more the Democrats will worry about the future of theirs.” See www.grandoldpartisan.com for more information.
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