the Wide Awakes, influential Republican Marching Clubs


Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I highlight the Wide Awakes, renowned Republican marching clubs that played an important role in the 1860 presidential election. Their name showed vigilance against the pro-slavery Democrats. Wearing spectacular uniforms, GOP activists held torchlit parades throughout northern states to boost enthusiasm for the Lincoln-Hamlin ticket.


This movement began on February 25th, when twelve young Republicans escorted anti-slavery activist Cassius Clay to speak at an event in Hartford, Connecticut. They were able to protect him from attack by Democrat thugs. March 5th, hundreds of Wide Awakes protected Abraham Lincoln at a rally in Hartford.


Their appearance caused such an impact that similar groups soon arose. Twenty thousand Wide Awakes marched in New York City, ten thousand in Chicago, and so on. In total, there were some three hundred thousand Wide Awakes. Most enlisted in the Union army during the Civil War.

Back to Basics for the Republican Party is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote the book: "The more we Republicans know about the history of our party, the more Democrats will worry about the future of theirs. For more information, see www.grandoldpartisan.com. 

Here is a YouTube Video about this article.

Here is a TikTok Video about this article.

Here is an Instagram Video about this article.

Here is my Substack about this article.

Michael Zak is author of Back to Basics for the Republican Party, a history of GOP civil rights achievement.


Each day, his YouTube videos and TikTok videos and Rumble videos and Grand Old Partisan blog celebrate more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. And, see Speech Raves for audience feedback from his presentations in thirty-one states.

Clarence Thomas cited Back to Basics for the Republican Party in a Supreme Court decision.

"This is the most amazing book about politics that I have ever read. The Overview should be required reading for anyone with even a minor interest in government. The remainder is an enthralling history lesson that I will never forget. For years, we have all been misled about the true nature of the GOP. This is the real deal! Read it and be proud!"

"Your book is a national treasure. I'm always recommending it."

"Michael Zak wrote the definitive history of the GOP."

"Back to Basics for the Republican Party is the most significant contribution to the Republican Party in the last twenty years apart from Ronald Reagan."

"Back to Basics for the Republican Party is more important to our party now than ever before."

and

"one of the best books I ever read"

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