March 20, 1854: The Republicans Get Started

The Republican Party of the United States was officially founded on March 20, 1854, in Ripon, Wisconsin, as a direct response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act—a divisive law that threatened to extend slavery into new territories. The party’s formation reflected the increasing sectional tensions of…

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December 14, 1836: Michigan And Ohio Call A Truce

On December 14, 1836, the long-running Toledo War—a peculiar and bloodless boundary conflict between Michigan Territory and Ohio—reached its unofficial end when Michigan delegates convened at the so-called “Frostbitten Convention.” They voted to accept Congress’ proposed terms for statehood, closing a contentious chapter in…

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