| Barack Obama is a Democrat. Most people know | | | | Senate. Back then, senators were chosen by their |
| this. What many people may not know is that the | | | | state legislatures. Lincoln was the Republican |
| man Mr. Obama looks to for the most political | | | | nominee for Senate, but since the Republican |
| (and now presidential) inspiration and guidance was | | | | Party was so new, he lost. Nevertheless, the |
| a.... Republican! | | | | series of debates Lincoln had with Democratic |
| That's right. Barack Obama's hero, Abraham | | | | Party opponent Stephen Douglas aroused great |
| Lincoln, was a Republican. Lincoln wasn't just any | | | | interest in the country. |
| ole Republican either. He was among the founders | | | | Lincoln followed by his Senate campaign with a |
| of the Republican Party and was the first | | | | series of pamphlets and speeches that captured |
| Republican to be elected President. | | | | the nation's attention. He became one of the |
| The Republican Party was founded in 1854 in | | | | leading voices against the expansion of slavery, |
| Ripon, Wisconsin. Its principal goal was to stop the | | | | and, in 1860, emerged as the Republican nominee |
| expansion of slavery into the western territories. | | | | for President. |
| Lincoln had been involved with the Whig Party, | | | | While the appeal of the Republican Party was still |
| which was disintegrating due, in large part, to | | | | regional (at the time, the Northeast), the entire |
| sectional rivalries. Since Lincoln was personally | | | | nation was split regionally at this point. There |
| opposed to slavery, he found the Republican | | | | were, in fact, four candidates for President that |
| Party platform much to his liking. | | | | year, including Lincoln's former Senate campaign |
| The first Republican to run for President was John | | | | rival, Stephen Douglas. None of the candidates |
| C. Fremont, and that was in 1856. But Fremont's | | | | received a majority of the popular vote, but the |
| appeal was largely regional, and he was defeated | | | | population advantage in the Northeast gave Lincoln |
| by James Buchanan. By 1860, however, things | | | | an Electoral College majority - making him the |
| would be different. | | | | 16th President of the United States and the first |
| Before Lincoln ran for President in 1860, he | | | | President to be a Republican. |
| campaigned in his home state of Illinois for the US | | | | |