William McConnell, one of Idaho's first two U.S. Senators

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I honor William McConnell, born near Detroit, September 18th 1839. Age twenty-one, he relocated to California, and then three years later, to Oregon, and a year after, to Idaho.

Rather than mine for gold, McConnell prospered by raising vegetables for the miners. He was also a deputy U.S. marshal. Back in California, the savvy Republican served a term as state senate president.

In 1884, McConnell returned to Idaho and opened a general store. His house is on the national register. He was delegate to the territory's constitutional convention. Statehood achieved, the legislature elected him a U.S. Senator. The 1891 Forest Reserve Act received his vote.

President McKinley named him to the Indian Bureau. President Taft appointed him to the Immigration Service. His daughter married William Borah, a six-term Republican Senator.

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.

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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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