African Americans and the Republican Party

This research paper focuses on the relationship between African Americans and the Republican Party. The purpose of the paper is to analyze the relations from the foundation of the Republican Party up to the present time. The paper examines the politics of race and compares how the Republicans have treated African Americans throughout history: from the presidency of Lincoln till today. To return the black vote, the Republicans should remember the past and position themselves as a party of emancipation.

Throughout history, the relationship between African Americans and the Republican Party has had different shapes and complex nature. The race issue was essential for the success of the Republican Party. After the Civil War, most of African Americans were Republicans because the party began as the anti-slavery movement. The Republican Party consisted of abolitionists, and it was the first party that gave freedom to blacks. It treated them in a proper way and introduced them to the Parliament.

How did the Leaders of the Republican Party Establish it?

In 1854, anti-slavery activists established the Republican Party. It was the ruling party up to 1932. The Republican Party soon became the principal opposition to the dominant Democratic Party. Democratic Senator Stephen A. Douglas’ Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed people to choose and vote for or against slavery. The Republican leader Abraham Lincoln was the adversary of Stephen A. Douglas and the Act. Lincoln argued that the Kansas-Nebraska Act could increase slavery because the majority of people would vote for it (Kabaservice, 2012).

The political slogan of the Republican Party was “free labor, free land, free men”. In 1856, Lincoln enrolled in the Republican Party. Soon, he became a new leader and was famous for his anti-slavery position. The Republicans, led by Abraham Lincoln, supported the protest against slavery throughout the United States. Lincoln was a leader of the Republican Party and then, in 1861, he became a President. The Republican Party led by Abraham Lincoln dealt with the greatest crisis in the U.S. history.

How Did the Republicans Support African Americans under President Lincoln?

Every American knows that the Republican Party started as a Party of Lincoln and slavery emancipation. Lincoln tried to promote the development of America and put an end to slavery. He argued that African Americans should have the right to go to court to gain their freedom. He stated that blacks should have the same legal right to freedom as whites. The Civil War abolished slavery. That is why blacks should be grateful to Lincoln and the Republican Party for the huge contribution to their freedom (Hamilton & Ture, 2011).

How did Blacks and the Republicans Live during the Reconstruction?

Because of President Lincoln and the Republican Party, during the Reconstruction African Americans, who were former slaves, participated in the political, economic, and social life, especially in the Southern states. The Reconstruction period was significant for them as they, eventually, had equal rights and autonomy. During the Reconstruction, approximately two thousand of African Americans held public office, from the local level up to the U.S. Senate.

How did Republican Herbert Hoover Treat African Americans?

After Herbert Hoover came to power, the relations between the Republican Party and African Americans changed much. Hoover’s attitude to African Americans was awful; local officials abused blacks. They did not allow them to leave the relief camps. Very often, the landowners received cash benefits allocated to African Americans. The officials forced black men to work at gunpoint. Republican Hoover realized the potential negative consequences of his attitude to blacks. He could not hide the suffering of African Americans anymore and decided to adopt a different approach. His task was to conceal the information about the sufferings of blacks from the media until the next election. He promised to improve the situation with blacks. However, after the elections, Hoover did not keep his promise. Therefore, it led to the strong and adverse reaction of African Americans in 1932. It was the starting point after which blacks began to move from the Republicans to the Democrats. Hoover adopted a new electoral tactic, the so-called “Southern Strategy” to get more votes from the Republicans in the Southern states. Hoover replaced many African American Republican leaders with whites. Such behavior made black leaders angry. That is why they started looking for a party that could support the rights and freedoms of blacks. They found support in the Democratic Party.

Why did African Americans Start Supporting the Democrats instead of the Party of Lincoln?

After the Civil War, the Democrats and Republicans changed their electorate. The Democratic Party officially supported the civil rights. The Democrats insisted on the implementation of the Civil Rights Act. After the Civil Rights Act, the Democrats signed the Voting Rights Act in 1965.

Why did Blacks Change their Positions on the Republican Party and Join the Democrats?

The strategies of both parties changed. Their roles were reversed. African Americans started supporting the Democrats because their party struggled for the equality and civil rights. There is no mystery here; everything is obvious. The history shows that blacks were loyal not to a particular party but to their equality and rights (Hershey, 2015).

How can the Republicans Return the Black Vote?

The Republican Party should approve the significance of the defense of the civil rights established and placed in the Constitution. The Republicans should not violate the legislative acts of Congress. If the party of Lincoln realizes that, it will throw down the wall of mistrust between itself and African Americans (White, 2015).

To sum up, the relations between the Republicans and blacks have been complicated. In general, the contribution of the Republican Party to the life of African Americans has been great. However, the Republicans have been losing the black vote for too long because they thought that they did not need it to win. In future, new studies may appear.