Birthed from the Abolitionist Movement
Review By Dean Dexter
Former New Hampshire Governor Hugh Gregg and his associate Georgi Hippauf, have
published an exhaustive outline of the Republican Party's origins in New
Hampshire. In doing so, they also make a convincing case for Mr. Gregg's
long-time argument that the Grand Old Party did indeed see its first
organizational meeting in Exeter, New Hampshire on October 12, 1853. This was
less than a year before any other such gathering took place in the country.
Acting as midwife at the party's birth, the authors contend, was Amos Tuck,
teacher, lawyer, three-term Congressman and friend of Abraham Lincoln. Tuck
early on became involved in the insurgent movement against the then-dominant
Democratic party over the issue of slavery. Years before the fateful meeting in
Exeter, Tuck broke ranks with Concord's Franklin Pierce - then the most
prominent politician in the state and head of the Democratic Party - when Pierce
denied Tuck friend John P. Hale re-nomination to his seat in congress over the
annexation of Texas. Tuck helped Hale's later election to the U.S. Senate as the
first Free-Soil member of that body, and at the same time won a seat in congress
for himself.
Gregg and Hippauf meticulously document how the various anti-slavery factions in
both New Hampshire and the nation finally jelled in the 1853-54 period to give
birth to the Republican movement. What made New Hampshire first, they contend,
was Tuck's foresight and drive to organize these factions in his home state
before his contemporaries did elsewhere. The movement was given the national
spotlight by Tuck friend Horace Greeley, born in Amherst, founder of the New
York Tribune. Tuck, Greeley, and Lincoln served in Congress together. Various
other states have attempted to take credit as the birthplace of the Republican
Party, particularly Ripon, Wisconsin (which Gregg and his wife visited in
preparing the book). Through careful research, Gregg and Hippauf show the Exeter
session predated them all. Most historians have previously overlooked Tuck's
role and the Exeter meeting because Tuck's session was held in secret, not
revealed until years later.
The authors augment their story with insight into Lincoln's visit to Exeter in
1860 and long friendship with Tuck. They note Hale's influence as a national
figure and provide vintage photographs of key players and locations, newspaper
headlines, and copies of historical documents. This is a fascinating look at a
key time in New Hampshire and national history.
Birth of the Republican Party, by Hugh Gregg and Georgi Hippauf, $21.95 (plus $2 S/H). Hard cover limited edition. Publisher: Resources of New Hampshire, Inc., 1995, indexed with bibliography.
Tribute to the late Hugh Gregg
A version of this review originally appeared in the September, 1995 issue of New Hampshire (Editions) magazine. Used by permission.
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