When you know Our Republican History …

It is easy to Be Bold – Be Courageous – Be Republican and Be Proud!

 

Our Republican History… The People’s Party

MARCH 20, 1854     First Republican Party meeting in Ripon, Wisconsin. 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.
JULY 6, 1854     Just after the anniversary of the nation, an anti-slavery state convention was held in Jackson, Michigan. The hot day forced the large crowd outside to a nearby oak grove. At this “Under the Oaks Convention” the first statewide candidates were selected for what would become the Republican Party.

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.

 

Timeline of Republican Achievements:

 

  •  January 1, 1863:     President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation
  •  January 31, 1865:     Republican-controlled 38th Congress passes the 13th Amendment          abolishing slavery
  •   January 13, 1866:    With unanimous Republican support and against intense Democrat opposition, Congress passes the 14th Amendment granting citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States.
  •   March 1, 1872:    Republican-controlled 42nd Congress establishes Yellowstone as first national park.
  •   December 9, 1872:     First African-American governor, Pinckney Pinchback (R-LA)
  •   April 2, 1917:     First woman in Congress, Rep. Jeannette Rankin (R-MT)
  •   May 21, 1919:     Republican-controlled 66th Congress passes the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote
  •   June 2, 1924:     Republican-controlled 68th Congress and President Calvin Coolidge grant citizenship to Native Americans with the Indian Citizenship Act
  •   December 7, 1928:    First Hispanic U.S. Senator, Senator Octaviano Larrazolo (R-NM)
  •   January 3, 1949:    Margaret Chase Smith (R-ME) becomes the first woman to serve in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
  •   May 17, 1954:    Brown v Board of Education strikes down racial segregation in public schools; majority decision written by Chief Justice Earl Warren, former Republican governor (CA) and vice presidential nominee.
  •   September 9, 1957:     President Dwight Eisenhower signs the 1957 Civil Rights Act.
  •   August 21, 1959:    First Asian-American U.S. Senator, Hiram Fong (R-HI)
  •   June 10, 1964:     Senate passes the 1964 Civil Rights Act when the Republican leader, Everett Dirksen (R-IL), defeats Democrat filibuster
  •   September 25, 1981:     Sandra Day O’Connor, appointed by President Reagan, becomes the first woman on the Supreme Court
  •   June 12, 1987:     President Ronald Reagan calls for liberation of East Europeans from Communism with “Tear Down This Wall” speech

 

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, Not Donkeys

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.

The above information is from the Republican National Party website

…. Read more of the history that includes a timeline of the Historical Moments of GOP achievements for freedom and equality on www.gop.com