Sesquicentennial: The Grand Old Party at 150
Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men.
"For the past century-and-a-half, the Republican Party has proven to be
the most effective political organization ever to champion equality and
human rights in the United States and around the world."
by Rod D. Martin
June 17, 2006
This weekend marks a proud milestone for Republicans, the 150th anniversary of the first Republican National Convention.
Founded in 1854, the Republicans, distinct from Democrats, grounded their party on two noble convictions: that America was truly one nation, not a polyglot of regions, races, or classes, and that American identity was based not on blood or soil, but on its founding ideal -- the dignity, worth, and fundamental rights of each person in the eyes of their Creator.
At first, the GOP's main cause was to oppose slavery, the most depraved institution of their day. Indeed, Democrats were so vehemently pro-slavery that just six years later they split the nation and went to war; and despite Republicans' victory, those same Democrats establishe…