The '''Republican Party''' is one of the two major extant parties in the United States. The party is sometimes referred to as the GOP for "Grand Old Party." The party was founded on February 28, 1854 by a coalition of different interests who opposed the expansion of slavery and wanted to industrialize the United States. | The '''Republican Party''' is one of the two major extant parties in the United States. The party is sometimes referred to as the GOP for "Grand Old Party." The party was founded on February 28, 1854 by a coalition of different interests who opposed the expansion of slavery and wanted to industrialize the United States. |