The creation of the Republican party
The Republican party of the USA was founded in 1854 in Ripon, Wisconsin by the members of the Great Lakes Area Platonic Society. They believed that the United States had strayed from it's ideal as a truely rational society governed by the enlightened. The society gathered like-minded representatives of various organisations to Wisconsin to discuss ways to encourage the ideals set forth by Plato in his book "The Republic." A proposal was put forth during the meetings that the various groups should contribute delegates to a convention, with the purpose of forming a political party that could stand candidates for various offices. The party was originally called the "Platonic Republican" party, to distinguish it from Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republican party. As that party was shortened to "Democrats" so the Platonic Republicans became known simply as Republicans.
The values of enlightened leadership providing the ideal governance have been passed down from Plato to the Republicans of today.
