VALUES
Republican values are best summarized by President Ronald Reagan. These principles of conservatism include:
1. Freedom
2. Faith
3. Family
4. Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life
5. American Exceptionalism
6. The Founders' Wisdom and Vision
7. Lower Taxes
8. Limited Government
9. Peace Through Strength
10. Anti-Communism
11. Belief in the Individual
For more details and a better understanding, the book, "11 Principles of a Reagan Conservative", by Paul Kengor Ph.D., is an excellent read.
HISTORY
The first official Republican Party meeting took place on July 6th, 1854 in Jackson, Michigan.
Since 1860, 18 out of 28 Presidents have been Republicans.
In 1860, ABRAHAM LINCOLN became the first Republican President and a new National political party - the Party of Lincoln - was on the map.
The Civil War erupted in 1861 and lasted four years. Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves. The Republican Party passed the Thirteenth Amendment to our Constitution, which outlawed slavery. It was the Republican Party that passed the very important Fourteenth Amendment, which guaranteed equal protection under the laws and circumscribed the power of the States, and the Fifteenth Amendment, which guaranteed voting rights for black Americans.
The Republican Party played a leading role in securing the right to vote for women. In 1896, Republicans were the first major party to favor women's suffrage. The Women’s Suffrage Amendment was ratified by 26 state legislatures that were under Republican control - out of a total of 36.
In 1901, President THEODORE ROOSEVELT focused on what he considered to be an
extraordinarily important issue - ensuring the Republican principle of competition in a free
market. He was the populist president who “busted” the “Big Business” trusts - the economic
monopolies of that day. He lead the movement to establish our National Parks system. He was
an environmentalist of the first order.
In 1917, the first woman elected to Congress was a Republican - Jeanette Rankin from Montana.
President - DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER - as an Army General - lead the D-day invasion to rid the world of the scourge of the Nazis.
Under Presidents RONALD REAGAN and GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH, now known as Bush 41, the United States became the world's only remaining superpower, ending the Cold War and tearing down the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain with it. As a result, millions of our fellow human beings have been released from Nazi, Fascist and Communist, totalitarian oppression.
President GEORGE W. BUSH and Vice-President DICK CHENEY lead the charge to rid the World of Islamic Fascist Terrorists in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
Our national party is made up of all registered Republicans in all 50 states. Republicans have a long and rich history and champion-worthy fundamental basic principles - abolish slavery, end women's suffrage, tough on Big Business, and increase environmental protection. In today's stereotypes, none of these sound like a typical Republican issue, yet they are stances the Republican Party established early in its history. These facts stand in sharp contrast to the inaccurate characterizations of the two political parties' regarding minorities, women, business and the environment. However, the truth is that the Republican Party was the leader in establishing justice for ALL Americans.