The Republican Party was founded in 1854 by anti-slavery expansion activists and modernizers, the Republican Party rose to prominence with the election of Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president.
The party presided over the American Civil War and Reconstruction and was harried by internal factions and scandals toward the end of the 19th century.
Today, the Republican Party supports a conservative platform (as far as American politics are concerned), with further foundations in economic liberalism, fiscal conservatism, and social conservatism.
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