What GOP Means

The Republican Party---sometimes referred to as the G.O.P., or "Grand Old Party"---is one of two major parties in the U.S. political system. The G.O.P. has been around for more than 150 years and includes famous historic figures among its ranks.

Origins

The Republican Party was founded in 1854 by antislavery and free soil activists (those who wanted the federal government to grant Western lands to settlers).

Name

The origins of the term "Grand Old Party" date back to 1884. However, the words for the acronym have changed a few times---from "Gallant Old Party" to the "Go-Party," and even "Generation of Peace" during the Nixon administration.

Figures

Abraham Lincoln, elected in 1860, was the first Republican president to hold office. Others who followed included Teddy Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush.

Views

According to WhatcomGOP.com, the Republican Party's core values are based in the championing of the individual and reducing the size of the federal government.

Symbol

The elephant as a Republican symbol first appeared in a Thomas Nast cartoon in 1874.

References

• WhatcomGOP.com: Republican Party History and Fun Facts