What is a Republican

This was taken from the website, "The History of the Republican Party".

The Republican Party was born in the early 1850's by anti-slavery activists and individuals who believed that government should grant western lands to settlers free of charge. The first informal meeting of the party took place in Ripon, Wisconsin.
The first official Republican meeting took place on July 6th, 1854 in Jackson, Michigan. The name "Republican" was chosen because it alluded to equality and reminded individuals of Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party.
In 1856, the Republicans became a national party when John C. Fremont was nominated for President under the slogan: "Free soil, free labor, free speech, free men, Fremont." Four years later, Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican to win the White House.
During the Civil War, against the advice of his cabinet, Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves. The Republicans of their day worked to pass the Thirteenth Amendment, which outlawed slavery, the Fourteenth, which guaranteed equal protection under the laws, and the Fifteenth, which helped secure voting rights for African-Americans.

Back then it was easy to recognize a Republican. Stands on actual freedom and self responsibility were like the ninteenth century's version of a neon sign shouting out, "This is a Republican!" The party then also fought for honest business practices, feeling that if a man prospered in his business, it should be because he worked hard, obeyed the law and gave honest measure for a fair price. If that ideal were to be proposed by a member of the party now, that individual would be driven from the ranks. He would be considered an idiot, unworthy of support.

There has been a great switch of ideals. The Democrats of the ninteenth century, those who supported slavery, high land prices, dishonest business practices and the maintenence of an oppressed lower class, have become the Republicans of the twentyfirst century. Some call them NeoCons, short for New Conservatives. In order to succeed in membership within this new version, one has to obey the dictates of the party leadership...without question. The fact that those dictates sometimes violate the constitution is beside the point. What is important is that business is allowed to do whatever it wants. Even suggesting that a business owner might be violating the law is considered bad manners by party faithful. Actually writing a bill mandating adherance to existing law is tantamount to a personal attack.

There may still be a few Fremonts out there, but they are indeed few and far between. "Go along to get along" has replaced "Free soil, free labor, free speech, free men". If Lincoln, or even Reagan were alive today, they would not receive support from the party. Their ideals would be considered harmful to the party platform.