Posted on 08/14/2002 7:52:28 AM PDT by PhiKapMom
OUR REPUBLICAN HERITAGE!
The advance of human freedom -- the great achievement of our time, and the great hope of every time -- now depends on us. Our nation -- this generation -- will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future. We will rally the world to this cause by our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.
President George W. Bush 2001
The Republican Party has a proud history. From its inception in the 1850s to the Presidency of George W. Bush today, the Grand Old Party (GOP) has stood throughout its history for equal rights for every American, free enterprise, economic growth, a strong defense, and the principles of democracy in the United States Constitution.
It all began in a Ripon, Wisconsin schoolhouse in March 1854 where anti-slavery activists called for the founding of a new political party - a political party dedicated to equal opportunity for all. The Republican Party was born.
The GOP's quick ascent to the forefront of national politics changed the very landscape of the United States. With President Lincoln at the helm, the United States defeated the Confederacy in the Civil War and preserved the union. Lincoln's Republican ideals of freedom for all began to heal the national rift between the North and the South.
Republicans championed equal rights for all Americans and, in particular, for African-Americans. The GOP passed the 13th amendment banning slavery, the 14th amendment extending the Bill of Rights to the states, and the 15th amendment according voting rights to African-Americans.
The early women's rights movement was solidly Republican. Nearly all suffragists, including Susan B. Anthony, favored the GOP. Prior to ratification of the 19th amendment, women could already vote in most predominantly Republican states.
The colorful Republican Theodore Roosevelt led the country into the twentieth century. With the President as its national spokesman, the Republican Party continued to keep up with the pace of history. While Roosevelt broke up many corporate monopolies, Republican majorities in Congress enacted such reforms as worker safety requirements, and pure food and drug laws.
In the 1950s and 1960s, it was again the Republican Party which faced the issue of race relations. Republican federal judge Frank Johnson overturned the law requiring blacks to sit in back of the bus. In 1957, Congress enacted the administration's landmark Civil Rights Act. Later that year, President Eisenhower used troops to enforce Brown v. Board of Education. Congressional Republicans overwhelmingly backed the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
In 1980, "Morning in America" dawned with an inspirational new leader, Ronald Reagan. After two terms as Governor of California, Reagan won the presidency, vowing to cut taxes, boost economic growth, and rebuild a neglected military. The success of the Reagan's agenda launched a decade of prosperity and defeated the global Communist threat.
The 1990s were an exciting time for the GOP. President George H. Bush led the charge against Iraqi aggression toward Kuwait and heralded in the post-Cold War era of democracy and free markets. In 1994, under the leadership of Newt Gingrich and Bob Dole, the Republican Party gained control of Congress for the first time in forty years. A Republican Congress enacted dramatic legislative accomplishments such as welfare reform leading to significant drops in welfare rolls nationwide, the first balanced budget in a generation, and historic tax cuts.
In response to the terrorist attacks against America, President George W. Bush proposed the most extensive reorganization of the federal government since the 1940s by creating the cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security. Today, under the leadership of President George W. Bush, the Republican Party is committed to extending hope and prosperity to all Americans. President Bush leads the fight against terrorism both at home and abroad to ensure a free and stable world for future generations of Americans.
This information was provided by Michael Zak, author of Back to Basics for the Republican Party. To learn more about the Republican Party, visit
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