The Anti-Nebraska Men was a name given to the American Northern Whigs to distinguish them from the Southern Whigs in respect of the Kansas-Nebraska bill. The Anti-Nebraska Men were joined by Anti-Slavery Democrats and gained control of the House in the Thirty-Fourth Congress before becoming the Republican Party. Research Anti-Nebraska Men
Arbor Day was a day set apart by most of the States and Territories of the USA for the planting of trees. Arbor Day was inaugurated by the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture in 1874. Arbor Day was held on the second Wednesday of April. Research Arbor Day
The Free Soil Party was an American political party which came into existence in 1848 and advocated non-extension of slavery in the newly acquired territory of the United States. It was composed of Abolitionists - formerly Democrats and Whigs, who had left their party conventions upon their failure to support that issue. Their first convention was held in 1848 when they polled a large popular vote, but secured no electoral count. Their second convention in 1852 was held at Pittsburgh and secured them less votes than before. In 1854 they opposed the Kansas-Nebraska bill, and in 1856 became absorbed in the newly-formed Republican party. Research Free Soil Party
The Kansas-Nebraska Bill was an American Act of Congress. Under the provisions of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, which was passed by Congress on May the 22nd, 1854, Kansas and Nebraska were separated And organized into Territories. The importance of this bill lay in the fact that it practically repealed the Missouri Compromise. In the bill as reported by Stephen A Douglas, the question of slavery in the two Territories was to be settled within the Territories, and if adopted the fugitive slave law was to apply. The status of Nebraska was easily settled as a free Territory, but the question caused much trouble in Kansas. The passage of the act had much to do with bringing on the American Civil War. Research Kansas-Nebraska Bill
The Kansas Aid Society was a Congressional association formed in 1854 for the purpose of aiding free immigration into Kansas to prevent the establishment of slavery, which had been made possible by the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act then recently adopted. Slavery advocates from Missouri were at that time active in endeavouring to bring about the establishment of slavery. Research Kansas Aid Society
The New England Emigrant Company was a corporation formed at Boston in 1855 to control emigration to the newly formed Territory of Kansas in the interest of the anti-slavery party. Slavery in Kansas had been made possible by the adoption of the Kansas-Nebraska bill, and slavery advocates in Missouri were actively at work for its establishment. The Emigrant Company aided immeasurably in making Kansas a free State. Research New England Emigrant Company
The People's Party was an American political organisation organized during the National Union Conference at Cincinnati, on May the 19th, 1891, and formed chiefly from the various Farmers' Alliances. A national committee was appointed to look after the interests of the new organization, and the platform of the Farmers' Alliance was indorsed advocating free silver; the sub-treasury plan; equal taxation; revenues limited to the necessity of the Government; a graduated income tax;
the election of President, Vice-President and Senate by a direct vote of the people; and prohibition of alien ownership of land. The National Convention at Omaha, Nebraska on July the 2nd, 1893, nominated James B Weaver, of Iowa, for President, and James G Field, of Virginia, for Vice-president. James B Weaver obtained a popular vote of 1,030,128 and an electoral vote of twenty-three. Research People's Party
The term popular sovereignty originated in America about the time of the acquisition of additional territory from Mexico in 1848. A suggestion was made of a middle course between the Wilmot Proviso, which prohibited the introduction of slavery into newly acquired or organized territories, and the positive permission of slavery under federal legislative enactment; namely, the question was to be settled by the inhabitants of the territories. The Kansas-Nebraska bill of 1854 purported to enforce the popular sovereignty idea. The Dred Scott decision of 1857 decided against it. The Democratic National Convention of 1856 approved of non-interference by Congress. with slavery in the Territories. Douglas, of Illinois, was an ardentadvocate of this policy, and he vainly defended it against the Dred Scott decision. The popular sovereignty idea disappeared with the outbreak of the rebellion. It was called in derision " squatter sovereignty". Research Popular Sovereignty
The name of Republicans was, in the earlier history of the United States, taken by the party formed by Jefferson, as distinguishing them from their Federalist opponents (later known as the Democratic Party), stigmatised as monarchists. In 1854 the name was revived, to be applied to a new political party, at first characterized primarily by opposition to the extension of slavery to the territories.
The compromise of 1850 had resulted in the disruption and decay of the Whig party. There was a brief interval before parties could be re-formed upon the basis of the slavery question purely. The passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act by the Democrats in 1854 caused a general coalition of Northern Free-Soilers, Whigs, Democrats, Know-Nothings and Abolitionists, united in opposition to that measure and the consequent repeal of the Missouri Compromise. At first known as 'Anti-Nebraska Men', the coalitionists took in that same year the name of Republicans. They at once won a plurality of Congress, and in 1856 held their first national convention at Philadelphia, which nominated Fremont and Dayton. Defeated then, in 1859 they again controlled the House. In 1860 Democratic divisions enabled them to elect Abraham Lincoln.
For the next' fourteen years the party, reinforced for a time by 'War Democrats', was supreme. It controlled the National Government, enlarged its powers by broad construction of the Constitution, carried on the American Civil War, abolished slavery, reconstructed the governments of the seceding States and controlled them, maintained the protective system and refunded the debt. It carried the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1864 and of Grant in 1868 and 1872. The Liberal Republican schism of 1872 indicated a reaction from the radical policy followed in regard to reconstruction, and was followed by extensive defeats in the tidal wave of 1874, due partly to official corruption in high places.
Yet the party managed, though barely, to carry the election of Hayes in 1876, and elected Garfield in 1880. In 1884 the nomination of Blaine caused the bolt of the mugwumps, and the election of a Democratic President. The party then became, more distinctly than in the years just preceding, the party of high protection. In 1888 it elected Harrison. Defeated in 1892, it was again successful in State elections in 1893. Its strength traditionally lay in the North. During the later part of the 19th century the Republican Party advocated a more stirring foreign policy than that of the Democrats, and larger expenditures for pensions and other national objects.
During the 20th century the Republican Party became more right-wing, represented by presidents such as Ronald Reagan, George Bush and George W Bush. Research Republican Party
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Anti-Nebraska Men
