Republican Party

Republican Party, one of the two major political parties of the United States. It is sometimes called the G.O.P., which stands for Grand Old Party, a nickname dating from the 19th century. It was founded in 1854 by dissidents of the Whig, Democratic, and Free Soil parties to unify the growing antislavery forces. Its first national nominating convention was held in 1856; J.C. Frémont was adopted as presidential candidate. Campaigning for the abolition of slavery and of polygamy in the territories, he captured 11 states. Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican president, and in spite of the unpopularity of the post-Civil War Reconstruction policies and the secession of the Liberal Republican Party in 1872, the Republicans remained dominant in U.S. politics, winning 14 out of 18 presidential elections between 1860 and 1932. In an era of scandal, the Republicans consolidated a “probusiness” and “conservative” reputation with the nomination and election of William McKinley in 1896. His successor, Theodore Roosevelt, adopted a progressive stance; he defected to the Bull Moose Party in 1912. In 1932 the Democrats swept to power, not to be dislodged until the election of the Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952. His successors, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, were Democrats, but Richard Nixon's landslide victory in 1972 marked a zenith of party strength. The Watergate scandal shattered this, contributing to the defeat of Gerald Ford in the 1976 elections. The Republicans rallied again in 1980 to elect Ronald Reagan president and to capture control of the Senate. In 1988 the Republican George Bush was elected president. Bush was succeeded by the Democrat Bill Clinton in 1993, who had to face a Republican majority in the Congres and Senate from 1994.