Republican Party
Background Synopsis
The Republican Party of the United States, often referred to as the GOP (Grand Old Party), is one of the two major political parties in the nation. Established in 1854, it was founded on anti-slavery principles and has since evolved to encompass a wide range of conservative ideologies. Republicans generally advocate for limited government intervention in the economy, personal responsibility, and free-market capitalism. The party emphasizes individual liberties, a strong national defense, and traditional values. The Republican Party's symbol, the elephant, and its color, red, are prominent features in American political discourse.
History
According to Wikipedia, the Republican Party of the United States was founded in 1854 by forces opposed to the expansion of slavery, ex-Whigs, and ex-Free Soilers. The Republican Party quickly became the principal opposition to the dominant Democratic Party and the briefly popular Know Nothing Party. The party grew out of opposition to the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which repealed the Missouri Compromise and opened the Kansas and Nebraska Territories to slavery and future admission as slave states. They denounced the expansion of slavery as a great evil, but did not call for ending it in the Southern states. While opposition to the expansion of slavery was the most consequential founding principle of the party, like the Whig Party it replaced, Republicans also called for economic and social modernization.
At the first public meeting of the anti-Nebraska movement on March 20, 1854, at the Little White Schoolhouse in Ripon, Wisconsin, the name "Republican" was proposed as the name of the party. The name was partly chosen to pay homage to Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party.The first official party convention was held on July 6, 1854, in Jackson, Michigan.
Source: Wikipedia