Grand Old Party

A History of the Republicans

First Edition

Lewis L. Gould

Lewis Gould brings to life the major figures of Republican history and uncovers a wealth of fascinating anecdotes about Republicans, from "the Plumed Knight," James G. Blaine, in the 1880s, to Barry Goldwater in the 1960s, to Newt Gingrich in the 1990s. Gould also uncovers the historical forces and issues that have made the Republicans what they are: the crusade against slavery, the rise of big business, the Cold War, and opposition to the power of the federal government.

Grand Old Party

A History of the Republicans

First Edition

Lewis L. Gould

Description

From Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War through the disputed election of George W. Bush and beyond, the Republican Party has been at the dramatic center of American politics for 150 years. In Grand Old Party, the first comprehensive history of the Republicans in 40 years, Lewis L. Gould traces the evolution of the Grand Old Party from its emergence as an antislavery coalition in the 1850s to its current role as the champion of political and social conservatism.

Here, Gould brings to life the major figures of Republican history - Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush-and uncovers a wealth of fascinating anecdotes about Republicans, from "the Plumed Knight," James G. Blaine, in the 1880s, to Barry Goldwater in the 1960s, to Newt Gingrich in the 1990s. Gould also uncovers the historical forces and issues that have made the Republicans what they are: the crusade against slavery, the rise of big business, the Cold War, and opposition to the power of the federal government.

Based on Gould's research in the papers of leading Republicans and his wide reading in the party's history, Grand Old Party is a book that will outlast the noisy tumult of today's partisan debates and endure as a definitive treatment of how the Republicans have shaped the way Americans live together in a democracy.

Written with balance and keen insight, Grand Old Party is required reading for anyone interested in American politics, especially as Americans gear up for the 2012 presidential election. Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike will find their understanding of national politics deepened and enriched by this invaluable guide to the unfolding saga of American politics.

Grand Old Party

A History of the Republicans

First Edition

Lewis L. Gould

CONTENTS

Preface and Acknowledgments

Chapter 1: The Party of Lincoln, 1854-1865
Chapter 2: Republicans and Reconstruction, 1865-1877
Chapter 3: Republicans in the Gilded Age, 1877-1893
Chapter 4: McKinley to Roosevelt, 1893-1904
Chapter 5: The Taft-Roosevelt Split, 1905-1912
Chapter 6: Republicans During the Wilson Years, 1913-1921
Chapter 7: The Age of Republican Dominance, 1921-1933
Chapter 8: The Republicans in the Age of the New Deal, 1933-1945
Chapter 9: From "Had Enough?" to Modern Republicanism, 1933-1945
Chapter 10: From Goldwater to Watergate, 1961-1974
Chapter 11: Republicans in the Reagan Era, 1974-1988
Chapter 12: Bush to Gingrich to Bush, 1988-2000
Conclusion: The Historical Legacy of the Republican Party
Notes
Suggestions for Further Reading
Index

Grand Old Party

A History of the Republicans

First Edition

Lewis L. Gould

Author Information

Lewis L. Gould is Eugene C. Barker Centennial Professor Emeritus in American History at the University of Texas at Austin. His books include The Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt and The William Howard Taft Presidency.

Grand Old Party

A History of the Republicans

First Edition

Lewis L. Gould

From Our Blog

Theodore Roosevelt, family man as political strategy

By Lewis L. Gould

Theodore Roosevelt was forty-two years old when he became the twenty-sixth president of the United States. He had been a Republican since his boyhood, but his allegiance to the Grand Old Party was not that of a regular partisan. He had little interest in the protective tariff and was not a fan of businessmen or the process by which they made their money. Instead, as a member of the New York aristocracy, he saw his duty as representing the American people in their adjustment to the promises and perils of industrial growth.

Posted on September 14, 2012

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