About The Republican Party

The Republican party, one of the most powerful political parties in the United States of America, got its start in the 1850s. The first members were people who were against slavery. Slowly, other issues came to be incorporated and fought against, especially any kind of oppression of freedom. Early Republicans fought against government charges and for free soil, free labor, and freedom of speech. In 1856, the party became "official" and chose John C. Fremont as its representative and president. The name Republican is meant to indicate equality and to bring to mind the Democratic Republican Party started by Thomas Jefferson.

The party stayed strong into the start of the Civil War in 1861 and throughout the difficult four years of battle that followed. During this time, the party members supported the Thirteenth Amendment to outlaw slavery, the Fourteenth Amendment to guarantee equal protection under the law, and the Fifteenth Amendment to allow African American citizens to vote. Later, members of the party would also work to allow women the right to vote.

As is evident by the issues that Republicans have chosen to fight against and support, they believe that individuals are capable of making correct decisions and that they should not have to rely on the government to do so. They believe that all people deserve to have equality. Past Republican presidents who supported these views include Dwight D. Eisenhower, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and Gerald Ford.

The elephant is the very recognizable symbol of the Republican party. This symbol came about due to a cartoon drawn by Thomas Nast in Harper's Weekly in 1874. The Republican Party is frequently referred to as the "GOP" as well, particularly in local organizations. These initials stand for the Gallant Old Party, a nickname established by an unknown source in 1875.