Republican Party History:
Jeffersonian Republicans? Democratic-Republicans? National
Republicans?
The term
'Republican' was used in American politics prior to the formation of
the modern Republican Party in 1854. There is reference to the
Jeffersonian Republicans, the Democratic-Republican party and the
National Republicans which, not surprisingly causes considerable
confusion. Our articles on the
History of Political Parties of the United States
or the
Timeline U.S. Political Parties
provides a short summary of these
political groups and will help to clarify
when these early parties were formed, their beliefs and their
leaders. The
Democratic Party was
formed in 1832 by Andrew Jackson.
Republican Party History: The
Free Soil Party & the National Union Party
The
Free Soil Party and the National
Union
Party was the forerunner to the Republican Party and
was formed to further the beliefs of national
interest above sectional interests and states'
rights. The National Union Party was organized in
1854 in opposition to
the extension of slavery. In 1860 Abraham Lincoln
was elected as its first leader and following his death in
1865, Andrew Johnson became the only other National
Union President. The 'National Union Party'
then changed its name to the Republican Party.
Republican Party History:
Supporters of the new Republican Party
The bitter question of slavery that was dividing North and South and
dividing the political parties. The
Compromise of 1850 had been an
unsuccessful attempt by Henry Clay to settle the the status of
territories acquired during the
Mexican-American War (1846–1848).
The Compromise of 1850 led to the destruction the
Whig Party. The Whigs from the southern
states moved to the Democrat Party and the
Whigs from the northern states moved to the newly formed
Republican Party. The supporters of the newly formed Republican Party
consisted of Northern Whigs, Northern Democrats and members of other
political groups, such as the
Free
Soil Party, who opposed the expansion of Slavery into new U.S.
territories and states.
Republican Party History:
Established in 1854 following the Kansas-Nebraska Act
What caused the
formation of the Republican Party and when was the Republican Party
formed? The bitter
question of slavery was dividing North and South and splitting the
political parties. The Republican Party was formed in 1854 by
opponents to the
1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act, who organized the new Republican party.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act, based on the doctrine of
Popular Sovereignty and Slavery, provided that the settlers of the new
territories of Nebraska and Kansas had the right to say whether that
territory should be free soil or slave soil, effectively ignoring
the purpose of the
Missouri
Compromise of 1820 which was to retain the balance between slave
and free states.
Republican Party History:
Swift Growth of the Republican Party
The Republican Party
grew with amazing speed attracting all the other parties who agreed
in opposing Douglas's Kansas-Nebraska policy. Members of the
Republican party extended to include the
Abolitionist
Movement, the Free-Soil party and the Know-Nothing movement.
Within six years Republican nominee Abraham Lincoln won the U.S.
presidential election in 1860.
This was the point when American
party
politics changed to the familiar contest of
Democrats versus Republicans.
Republican Party Symbol:
The GOP and the Elephant
Why was it called
the Republican Party?
The Republican Party
adopted its name to reflect the past glories of the old party of
Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe at first referred
to by the acronym GOP meaning the "Gallant Old Party" which changed
over time to mean the "Grand Old Party". The Republican Party
adopted the elephant as their symbol. The symbol of the Elephant is
credited to Thomas Nast, the famous political cartoonist, who had
also been responsible for the Democratic donkey symbol. Thomas
Nast published a cartoon that appeared in Harper's Weekly on 7
November 1874, drawing a donkey clothed in lion's skin, scaring away
all the animals at the zoo. One of the animals, the elephant, was
labeled "The Republican Vote." The elephant symbol caught the
imagination of the public and it became the unofficial symbol of the
Republican party representing the Republicans as docile but
unmovable when calm, unstoppable and destructive when angered.
Republican Party History:
The Confederate States of America
Shortly after
Abraham Lincoln's victory, several southern states seceded from the
Union. The establishment of the Confederacy unleashed the
American Civil war (1861-1865). The
Confederate States of America was formed in
February, 1861 and composed of the 11 Southern states that seceded
from the United States in order to preserve states' rights and
slavery. Support for the Republican Party and Abraham Lincoln was
concentrated primarily in the North.
Republican Party History:
Reconstruction - the Conservatives, the Moderates and the Radicals
In the years following the Civil War the Republicans attempted, with some
success, to brand the Democratic Party as the party of rebellion. The
Republican Party had control of
Congress
and oversaw Reconstruction,
the name given to the period of rebuilding for the defeated South.
President Lincoln favored a conciliatory attitude toward the
vanquished Confederacy but the party was divided into three
factions, the Conservatives, the Moderates and the Radicals.
-
The
Conservative Republicans wanted the confederate states to
quickly rejoin the union with no consideration for racial
relations
-
The
Radical Republicans wanted to punish the leaders of the
confederacy, confiscate confederate property, and protect the
rights of former slaves. The radicals wanted a complete overhaul
of the South's economic and social system
-
The
Moderate Republicans did not want to punish the leaders of the
confederacy, but did want some protection for former slaves
Republican Party History:
Reconstruction and Andrew Johnson
The differing views of the Republicans weakened the party and then
the moderate President Lincoln was assassinated in 1865. Andrew
Johnson assumed the presidency from 1865 - 1869. During the moderate
Johnson administration the Reconstruction policies of the
Republicans, such as conferring citizenship and voting rights to
former slaves, resulted in long-lasting resentment among the eleven
Southern states of the old Confederacy. The South voted for the
Democrats, with few exceptions until the 1960s, giving rise to the
term the "Solid South", used to describe the electoral support of
the Southern states for Democratic candidates from 1877, which was
the end of Reconstruction, right up to 1964 with the passing of the
Civil Rights Act.
Republican Party History:
Ulysses Grant
In 1869 the war
hero, Ulysses S. Grant, was elected President and the first leader
of the re-named Republican Party
and served in office from
1869-1877. The Republican Party was in the ascendancy and began a
period of national dominance that lasted for more than seventy
years, with only an occasional break-through by the Democrats.
President Grant was a radical Republican and the Grant
administration was marked by scandals and the excesses of the
Spoils System.
This led to a split in the Republican party and the formation of the
Liberal Republican party led by Horace Greeley. Horace Greeley was
supported by the Democrats, was unable to defeat Ulysses Grant in
the 1872 presidential election and the bribes, kickbacks and
corruption became even more widespread.
Republican Party History:
Rutherford Hayes
The radicals in the Republican Party
lost support during the scandal ridden administration of Grant. The
Republicans still succeeded in the next presidential campaign to the
moderate platform of Rutherford Hayes. Hayes was elected and his
presidency was from 1877 - 1881 during which he introduced Civil
Service Reforms in an effort to end the 'Spoils System'.
Republican Party History:
James Garfield
The Republican Party
succeeded in the next campaign and
James Garfield was elected the 20th president of the US in 1881. His
presidency was short-lived due to an assassination attempt which led
to his untimely death.
Republican Party History:
Chester Arthur
The
Chester Arthur served in office
from September 19, 1881 to March 4, 1885 and following the
assassination of James Garfield and the Star-Route Scandal which
involved the bribery of Postal Officials the Pendleton Civil Service
Reform Act was passed. The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act
moved away from the 'Spoils System' and stipulated that government
appointments would be made according to merit. Grover Cleveland
revived the Democratic Party with his election in covering 1885 -
1889 and again in the 1893 election although Republican Benjamin
Harrison split his presidencies.
Republican Party History:
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was a Republican Party president from 1889 - 1893.
The "Billion Dollar Congress" cost the government over a billion
dollars and the panic of 1893 that would lead to a major depression
resulted in the re-election of the Democrat Grover Cleveland.
Republican Party History:
William McKinley
William McKinley was a Republican Party president from 1897-1901.
William McKinley established conservative economic doctrines and
championed the gold standard. His presidency and term in office ended
with his assassination by Leon Czolgosz.
Republican Party History:
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt was a Republican Party president from 1901-1909.
Theodore Roosevelt adopted the "Square Deal" domestic policy in
which he pledged not to favor any group of Americans but to be fair
to all. He supported aggressive political reforms, including the
heavy regulation of business and a vigorous foreign policy.
Republican Party History:
William Taft
William Taft was a Republican Party president from 1909-1913.
William Taft "Taft's dollar diplomacy" that called for the use of
diplomatic and military action to further foreign business
interests. A new rift appeared in the Republican party due between
those who favored conservatism and those who favored Progression.
The split led to the election of the Democratic candidate, Woodrow
Wilson.
Republican Party History:
Warren Harding
Warren Harding was a Republican Party president from 1921-1923. The
administration of Warren Harding was marked by corruption in the
Teapot Dome Scandal involving the secret leasing of federal oil
reserves by the secretary of the interior, Albert Bacon Fall.
President Harding died of a heart attack in San Francisco,
California, whilst on a speaking tour and was followed by his
successor, Calvin Coolidge
Republican Party History:
Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge was a Republican Party president from 1923-1929. The
administration of Calvin Coolidge passed the Revenue Acts of 1924
and 1926 reducing inheritance and personal income taxes after years
of high wartime tax rates. The Immigration Act
of 1924 ended further
immigration from Japan and restricted the number of
immigrants from southern and eastern Europe. Calvin Coolidge
surprised the nation by announcing that he did not want to run
for President in 1928 and was succeeded by Herbert
Hoover.
Republican Party History:
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover was a Republican Party president from 1929-1933. The
presidency of Herbert Hoover was wrecked by the the 1929 Wall Street
Crash in which billions of dollars were lost in a single day and led
to the Great Depression. The stock market was unable to
pre-depression levels until 1954. The public blamed their problems
on the President who was not re-elected. The Democrats, under
Franklin Delano Roosevelt gained and overwhelming victory in the
next election and the Republican Party and suffered continuous
defeats for the next 20 years.
Republican Party History:
Dwight Eisenhower
Dwight Eisenhower was a Republican Party president from 1953-1961.
The popular, conservative General Dwight Eisenhower took the
presidency at the end of the Korean War and the start of the Cold
War and the fight against communism. The National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) was established to keep U.S. space
endeavors in front of the Soviet space efforts.
Republican Party History:
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon was a Republican Party president from 1969-1974. The
White House involvement in the Watergate scandal led to the
resignation of President Nixon. The reputation of the party was
damaged and Gerald Ford had the difficult role of picking up the
pieces
Republican Party History:
Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford was a Republican Party president from 1974-1977. Gerald
Ford granted the disgraced Nixon an unconditional pardon explaining
that he felt it was in the best interests of the country. It was
received as an unpopular action by many Americans and the
Republicans lost the next presidential election to Jimmy Carter.
Republican Party History:
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan was a Republican Party president from 1981-1989.
Ronald Reagan was one of the most popular of all American
presidents. His presidency saw major events such as Glasnost with
the Soviet Union and the Fall of the Berlin Wall. The 1986
Iran-contra scandal marred the last years of his presidency but his
vice-president, George H. W. Bush was successful in the next
presidential election.
Republican Party History:
George H Bush
George H Bush was a Republican Party president from 1989-1993.
The administration of George H Bush saw events such as the
Dissolution of the Soviet Union and the End of the Cold War. His
strong action during the Gulf War met with approval but his lack
luster domestic policies were blamed for a stagnant economy and high
unemployment. The charismatic won the next election for the
Democrats and it was 8 years before the Republicans gained power
under George W. Bush.
Republican Party History:
George W Bush
George W Bush was a Republican Party president from 2001-2009.
George W Bush and the stunned nation witnessed the horror of the
9/11 Terrorist Attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
The Second Gulf War dominated his early presidency and Credit Crunch
started in 2007 with the sub-prime
mortgage crisis which led to the recession and the
decline in the popularity of the Republican Party who were defeated
in the next presidential election by Barack Obama.
Republican Party
History: Republican Party
Presidents
Eighteen United States presidents were elected on the
Republican Party platform:
Republican Party
History: Republican Party
Presidents
Number
Republican Pictures
Names
of Republican Party Presidents
Dates
Republican Party
Presidents in Office
Dates took
Office
Age
at Inaug.
Dates left
Office
16th

Abraham
Lincoln
(1861-1865) & (1865)
Mar. 4,
1861
52
April 15, 1865
18th

Ulysses
Grant
(1869-1873) & (1873-1877)
Mar. 4,
1869
46
March 4, 1877
19th

Rutherford
Hayes
(1877-1881)
Mar. 4,
1877
54
March 4, 1881
20th

James
Garfield
(1881)
Mar. 4,
1881
49
Sept. 19, 1881
21st

Chester
Arthur
(1881-1885)
Sept. 19, 1881
50
March 4, 1885
23rd

Benjamin
Harrison
(1889-1893)
Mar. 4,
1889
55
March 4, 1893
25th

William
McKinley
(1897-1901) & (1901)
March 4,
1897
54
Sept. 14, 1901
26th

Theodore
Roosevelt
(1901-1905) & (1905-1909)
Sept. 14, 1901
42
March 4, 1909
27th

William
Taft
(1909-1913)
Mar. 4,
1909
51
March 4, 1913
29th

Warren
Harding
(1921-1923)
Mar. 4,
1921
55
August 2, 1923
30th

Calvin
Coolidge
(1923-1925) & (1925-1929)
August
2, 1923
51
March 4, 1929
31st

Herbert
Hoover
(1929-1933)
Mar. 4,
1929
54
March 4, 1933
34th

Dwight
Eisenhower
(1953-1957) & (1957-1961)
Jan.
20, 1953
62
January 20, 1961
37th

Richard
Nixon
(1969-1974)
Jan.
20, 1969
56
August 9, 1974
38th

Gerald Ford
(1974-1977)
August
9, 1974
61
January 20, 1977
40th

Ronald
Reagan
(1981-1985) & (1985-1989)
Jan.
20, 1981
69
January 20, 1989
41st

George H
Bush
(1989-1993)
Jan.
20, 1989
64
January 20, 1993
43rd

George W
Bush
(2001-2005) & (2005-2009)
Jan.
20, 2001
54
January 20, 2009
Republican Party
History: Republican Party
Presidents
Republican Party -
Video of
the US Presidents
The article
on the History of the Republican Party provides a fast overview of the
history of the US Government. The following
Presidents of the USA video enables you to sit back and listen to the
history of all the Presidents of the USA - a useful
educational resource for kids, children and schools
that complements the information found in the
History of the Republican Party. |