First Meeting of the Republican Party
Unverified
Date
March 20, 1854
Type
National
Author
hjwilson1975
Location
Ripon,
Wisconsin,
United States
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Categories
Political & Governance
Event Details
On March 20, 1854, former members of the Whig Party met in Ripon, Wisconsin, to establish a new party to oppose the spread of slavery into the western territories. This is widely considered the founding of the Republican Party.
The party rapidly gained power in the North, and its candidate, Abraham Lincoln, won the presidency in 1860.