The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. The party's platform is generally considered right of center in the U.S. political spectrum. The Republican Party has the second most registered voters as of 2004 with 55 million, encompassing roughly one-third of the electorate. As of mid-2010, Republicans fill a minority of seats in both the United States... Senate and the House of Representatives, hold a minority of state governorships, and control a minority of state legislatures. Founded in northern states in 1854 by anti-slavery activists, modernizers, ex-Whigs and ex-Free Soilers, the Republican Party quickly became the principal opposition to the dominant Democratic Party. It first came to power in 1860 with the election of Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency and oversaw the American Civil War and Reconstruction. The first official party convention was held on July 6, 1854 in Jackson, Michigan.
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