Formation of the Republican Party
The Whig Party split apart in 1854 and many northern Whig memebers joined the Republicans .They were an anti-slavery party whose main goal was to stop the spread of slavery into the West. In 1854 in the House of Representatives of the 245 candidates, 105 were Republicans. In 1856 John C. Fremont was the 1st candidate for president in the Republican Party. Fremont won 11 of the 16 free states during that election.