Henry Selden, the first Republican Lieutenant Governor of New York

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I praise Henry Selden, born October 14th 1805. Age twenty, he settled in upstate New York to study law. The state appellate court named him its case reporter. Having invested in the company, he was named president of what became Western Union.

Selden left the Democratic Party, because of his opposition to slavery, and co-founded the state GOP. In 1856, he was elected Lieutenant Governor. Months after leaving office, he helped Frederick Douglass evade slave catchers. This ardent Republican was delegate to the party's 1860 national convention. Two years later, a Republican Governor named him to the court of appeals.

In 1873, Selden defended Susan B. Anthony, pro bono, in her trial for having voted.

He was eulogized as "the peer of the noblest of those who surrounded him."

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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