Henry Winter Davis, visionary Republican Congressman


Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I praise Henry Winter Davis, born in Annapolis, August 16th 1817. Law studies were at University of Virginia. After nine years in Alexandria, he relocated to Baltimore.

In 1854, Davis won first of three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Though not yet having joined the GOP, opposition to slavery led him to cast a crucial vote to elect a Republican as Speaker of the House. Even so, in the 1860 presidential election he backed the Constitutional Union Party.

Appalled by the Confederacy, Davis became a Republican. "Smite fearlessly the Democratic Party," he thundered, "The union will survive its fragments." This brilliant orator returned to Congress for another term.

The war drawing to a close, he and Republican Senator Ben Wade secured passage of a bill to place Reconstruction firmly under control of Congress, until the slave system was totally eradicated. Page 82 of Back to Basics for the Republican Party explains:

"Wade and Davis published a critique of Lincoln's policy: 'The President must confine himself to the Executive duties — to obey and executive, not make the laws — to suppress by arms armed rebellion, and leave political organization to Congress.' Who could disagree?"

Abraham Lincoln did. He vetoed the Wade-Davis bill, preferring to re-admit states without the social reforms that Radical Republicans wanted. That proved to be a big mistake, as it left the Confederate elite in place. Even worse, ascension to the presidency of a Democrat, Andrew Johnson, delayed Republican Reconstruction for two years.

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. 

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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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