On March 20, 1854, a group of anti-slavery activists met in Ripon, Wisconsin, to discuss forming a new political party. This meeting is commonly cited as a founding moment of the Republican Party. Participants opposed the expansion of slavery into western territories, especially after the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The movement soon spread to other states, drawing former Whigs, Free-Soilers, and anti-slavery Democrats. Within a few years, the Republican Party became a major national force. It would eventually elect Abraham Lincoln and lead the Union during the Civil War.
