When Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860, he was a member of a political party that had been founded only six years earlier: the Republican Party. In March 1854, a group of men gathered to form a political party that reflected their concerns about life in America. They were opposed to the spread of slavery, supported high taxes on imported goods, and were in favor of homesteading to help settle the rapidly expanding Western territories. Since then, the Republican Party - like the American political system - has undergone many profound changes. Offering detailed, full-color photographs; an in-depth narrative; and features such as sidebars and a glossary, The History of the Republican Party fully examines the development of this party, including its prominent figures, key events, and ideological trends.