In the mid 1850s, citizens across the Northern states were aghast at the prospect that new laws would allow for the expansion of the slavery. Dozens of small meetings took place to come up with a plan to stop that expansion to new states.
One such town is Ripon, Wisconsin. There, a few citizens met to come up with the idea for a new political party. That happened in February of 1854. But there was little mention of it in newspapers at the time.
Later that year, activists in Jackson, Michigan, printed a thousand flyers calling for a convention to organize a new political party in early July. The organizers rented a 200-person hall to hold the meeting. However, roughly 5,000 to 10,000 people showed up. The meeting was moved outside to a field that has become known as “under the oaks.”
In just one day these activists created a new party to oppose slavery, called themselves Republicans, and took action to move the Republican Party forward. Eleven years later, slavery was abolished in the United States.
In Jackson in 1854:
- The party’s anti-slavery platform was unanimously approved
- Candidates were put forward in the upcoming 1854 elections
- They approved the name “The Republican Party”
However, the debate over the question, “Is Jackson, Michigan the true birthplace of the Republican party?” continues. Author and vice president of the Jackson Historical Society Linda Hass makes a masterful case that yes, Jackson is the birthplace of the Republican Party. Take a listen and see if you agree.
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