The Republican Party was founded on March 20, 1854, in Ripon, Wisconsin in response to the divisive Kansas–Nebraska Act, which allowed new U.S. territories to decide by vote whether to permit slavery. The law intensified national tensions and led anti-slavery activists to form a new political coalition. Former members of the Whig Party, the Free Soil Party, and the American Party united to create the Republican Party. Their goal was to prevent the expansion of slavery into western territories. The early Republican Party drew support from northern Protestants, factory workers, professionals, businessmen, and prosperous farmers, and after the American Civil War it also gained strong backing from newly freed Black Americans. Later in 1854, a larger meeting in Jackson, Michigan helped organize the party and select its first candidates. Just a few years later, the Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln won the 1860 United States presidential election. During the Civil War, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, declaring enslaved people in Confederate-held territories to be free and marking a major step toward the eventual abolition of slavery in the United States. Tomorrow, March 20, marks the founding of the Republican Party, from its early coalition to the leadership of Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War, the party has played a defining role in shaping the nation. This anniversary serves as a moment to reflect on its origins and the principles that first brought its supporters together. Written By: Jamie Lee KCGOP Director/34th Chair | 
