A decade prior to the Civil War there were two major political parties in the United States: Democrats, who favored freedom of choice to own slaves; and Whigs, who tried to be a big tent party to stem the loss of members to the Know-Nothing Party. In Ripon, Wisconsin, anti-slavery activists met for the first time on February 28, 1854, then held their first State Convention in Jackson, Michigan, JULY 6, 1854. This new political party stood against slavery, taking a moral stand for the value of human life. Also, because of a movement in Utah to redefine marriage, this new party stood for marriage being between one man and one woman. They named their party "Republican," with the chief plank being "to prohibit...those twin relics of barbarism: POLYGAMY AND SLAVERY."
Posted on: Mon, 08 Jul 2013 11:46:58 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015