I BELIEVE... the Republican Party is the best vehicle for translating these ideals into positive and successful principles of government.

About the Jefferson County Republican Committee

Republicans Believe

It is important to respect each person's ability, dignity and freedom;
Individual initiative must be encouraged in getting things done;
Government exists to protect the freedom of each person, not to restrict it;
People who cannot provide for themselves deserve help and also deserve to be helped to become self-supporting citizens who can take pride in their self-reliance and independence;
Equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity are everyone's rights;
Respect for laws, the courts and the Constitution are vital to preservation of the nation and security for all;
Excessive taxation, inflation and government waste can destroy our country and our state; sound money management must be an essential part of government on all levels;
While we remain militarily strong, we must continue our efforts toward world peace and friendship.

Leading the Way on Issues

Republicans fought to abolish slavery, give blacks equal rights and then the vote.

Many Republican politicians risked their careers on that period's "third rail" of politics. In fact, many blacks even held elected office and were influential in state legislatures. And, in 1869, the first blacks entered Congress as members of the Republican Party, establishing a trend that was not broken until 1935 when the first black Democrat finally was elected to Congress.

From the Beginning

Abolishing slavery. Free speech. Women's suffrage.

These are all stances the Republican Party, in opposition to the Democratic Party, adopted early on.

Reducing the government. Streamlining the bureaucracy. Returning power to the states. These issues don't sound like they would be the promises of the party of Lincoln, the party that fought to preserve the national union, but they are, and logically so.

Republican Party GOP History

The Republican Party was born in the early 1850's by anti-slavery activists and individuals who believed that government should grant western lands to settlers free of charge.

The first informal meeting of the party took place in Ripon, Wisconsin, a small town northwest of Milwaukee. The first official Republican meeting took place on July 6th, 1854 in Jackson, Michigan. The name "Republican" was chosen because it alluded to equality and reminded individuals of Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party. At the Jackson convention, the new party adopted a platform and nominated candidates for office in Michigan.

Republican Women

Once again the Republican Party was the vanguard in relation to women.

In 1917, Jeannette Rankin, a Montana Republican, became the first woman to serve in the House. Committed to her pacifist beliefs, she was the only member of Congress to vote against entry into both World War I and World War II.

Shortly after Ms. Rankin's election to Congress, the 19th Amendment was passed in 1919. The amendment's journey to ratification had been a long and difficult one. Starting in 1896, the Republican Party became the first major party to officially favor women's suffrage. That year, Republican Sen. A. A. Sargent of California introduced a proposal in the Senate to give women the right to vote.

Jefferson County Republican Committee

200 Washington Street
Suite 208
Watertown, New York 13601

315.788.4120

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