REPUBLICAN PARTY, one of the two great political parties in the United States. The term Republican has had at different times different significations. In 1792 a faction of the Anti-Federalists, advocating more direct control of the government by the people, further re striction of supreme authority, and a stronger emphasis of States Rights, be gan to be known as the Republican party. This party was increased by numbers of voters who called themselves Democrats on account of their sympathy with the French Jacobins. The combination was known officially as the Democratic-Re publican party. Those members having centralizing tendencies having seceded, the term Democratic was alone retained. This name, as the title of a National party was first used in 1825, the election of 1828 being the first in which it ap peared, at that time opposing the orig inal holders of the name. The name Re publican, as the title of a party went out of use after the election of 1824, but was resumed in 1856, during the administra tion of Mr. Pierce (1853-1857). Its platform rested mainly on the prohibi tion of slavery in the Territories, declar ing that freedom was the public law of the national domain; the prohibition of polygamy, which it classed with slavery as "the twin relic of barbarism"; and the admission of Kansas as a free State. In 1856 the party fairly divided the coun try with its Democratic competitor. In June of that year its convention met at Philadelphia and nominated John C. Fre mont for President. But the American party drew something from its strength, and though showing a popular vote of 1,341,264, it was defeated, the slave States, with the exception of Maryland, which voted for Mr. Fillmore, going solidly for Mr. Buchanan, the Democratic candidate, who was elected with the aid of five free States, 11 of the latter vot ing for General Fremont. The decision in the Dred Scott Case and the progress of events in Kansas greatly strerigthened the party, and after the divisions among the Democrats over the same question in 1860 the success of the Republicans was assured. In 1860 the party elected Abraham Lincoln President. The sec tional issue was still more strongly marked and he received the electoral votes of the free States except New Jer sey, which gave three votes to Mr. Doug las. On the announcement of his elec tion the Southern States prepared to se cede, South Carolina leading, followed by 10 others. Mr. Lincoln was inaugu rated March 4, 1861, General Scott care fully supervising the ceremony. He as serted that there was no right to inter fere with slavery in the States where it existed, and acknowledged that of the reclamation of fugitive slaves; but he expressed his determination to execute the laws and protect public property. The conduct of the Civil War was in the hands of the Republican party, though northern Democrats formed a large pro portion of the Union army.
In 1864 Mr. Lincoln was unanimously nominated by the Republicans, and was re-elected by an overwhelming majority. The war was brought to a close by the surrender of General Lee, April 9, 1865; on the 14th Mr. Lincoln was assassinated, and died the next day. Andrew John son, the Vice-President, immediately succeeded him, and continued his cabinet. Mr. Johnson had been a loyal Union man of Tennessee and was chosen in view of the reconstruction of the South. He soon disagreed with the party and came into actual conflict with Congress. He was impeached March 23, 1868, but ac quitted May 16 and 26 for lack of one of two-thirds for conviction. Chief-Jus
tice Chase presided at this trial. In 1868 Ulysses S. Grant was elected Presi dent. His election was urged on the ground that the Republican party, hav ing successfully finished the war, main tained public credit, abolished slavery, and secured liberty, was the proper one to carry on the government. In May, 1872, the Liberal Republicans met in Cincinnati, and nominated Horace Gree ley, which action was indorsed by the Democratic convention. The Republi cans nominated General Grant, and re elected him by a larger vote than that of the former term. In 1876 Rutherford B. Hayes, by the decision of the Presi dential Electoral Commission, was de clared elected. During this administra tion the resumption of specie payments took place, Jan. 1, 1879, and the recon struction of the South went forward. In 1880 James A. Garfield was elected president, and died Sept. 19, 1881, from wounds inflicted July 2, and Chester A. Arthur, the Vice-President, took his place. In 1884 there arose a consider able defection from the party ranks, the seceders calling themselves Independent Republicans, and declining to vote for James G. Blaine, the regular nominee. As a result Grover Cleveland, the Demo cratic candidate, was chosen. In 1888 the party again triumphed in the Na tional election, Benjamin Harrison de feating Grover Cleveland on the tariff issue. During this administration, largely by the diplomacy of Mr. Blaine, Secretary of State, reciprocity trade re lations were established with five South American States, with Austria-Hungary, Spain and Great Britain (as to British Guiana, and some of the British West India islands), admitting certain articles free of duty for the mutual advantage of these States and the United States. A new tariff bill, known as the McKinley bill, was passed favoring protection. A brief protectorate was assumed by the United States minister to Hawaii over the islands (see HAWAII). In 1892 the party was defeated by the second elec tion of Grover Cleveland and a Demo cratic Congress. In 1894 it again came into power in Congress by signal majori ties carrying even Kentucky and other Democratic strongholds; and in 1896 re gained all branches of the Government by the election of William McKinley and an increased majority of Congress. In 1899 the Republican party held the gov ernorship in 26 States, and controlled the legislature in 22, with a plurality in several others. In 1900 President Mc Kinley was re-elected, his first adminis tration having been marked by a general business prosperity, and the successful waging of the war against Spain, "in the interest of humanity." On the death of President McKinley, from an assassin's bullet, Sept. 14, 1901, his place was filled by Theodore Roosevelt, Vice-President. Elected President 1904.
The Panama Canal was begun in his administration, and completed in the Taft administration that followed. In 1912, Taft and Sherman ran for re-elec tion, Roosevelt and Hiram Johnson head ing the Progressives. Taft only carried Vermont and Utah. Roosevelt received 88 electoral votes. Woodrow Wilson be came President; was re-elected in 1916, running against Charles E. Hughes, Re publican. On March 4, 1919, the Repub licans gained control of the Senate and House. The Republican victory, on Nov. 4, 1920, gave the entire control of the Government to the Republican party.