Resources & History

Birthplace of the Republican Party: Michigan

On July 6, 1854, a state convention of anti-slavery men was held in Jackson to found a new political party. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" had been published two years earlier, causing increased resentment against slavery, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act of May 1854, threatened to make slave states out of previously free territories. Since the convention day was hot and the huge crowd could not be accommodated in the hall, the meeting adjourned to an oak grove on "Morgan's Forty" on the outskirts of town. Here a state-wide slate of candidates was selected, and the Republican Party was born. Winning an overwhelming victory in the elections of 1854, the Republican party went on to dominate national parties throughout the nineteenth century." 

Shown, the historical marker at today's northwest corner of Jackson's Second and Franklin streets. Site of the "Under the Oaks" convention founding the Republican Party.

An Early History of the Republican Party in Detroit

By Silas Farmer

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

 

Campus Martius, 1865

by Silas Farmer

These were the days of bonfires and fireballs, and often several cords of wood were burned on the Campus Martius, whole barrels of rosin giving brilliancy to the flames. The active help of mischievous boys could always be counted upon to add fresh fuel to the pile; and woe to the unlucky merchant who had left boxes or barrels in sight, for they were confiscated at once, and the huge pyramids and the hopes of many candidates went up in smoke together. Both parties eventually availed themselves of drilled torch-bearers, whose manœuvres enlivened the campaign, as they marched to “ranch” or “wigwam.”