Grand Old Partisan honors Gerrit Smith, born in Utica, New York this day of 1797. The wealthy landowner lived simply, focusing philanthropy on a range of social causes. In addition to the abolitionism, he crusaded for women's suffrage, prison reform, temperance and evangelization. He donated farms to more than two thousand African-American families in his area. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a cousin.
His activism began in 1835, when an anti-slavery meeting he attended was broken up by pro-slavery thugs. He served as president of the New York Anti-Slavery Society and helped slaves escaping along the Underground Railroad.
In 1840, Smith co-founded and named the country's first anti-slavery political organization, the Liberty Party. Eight years later, he was its presidential nominee. Four years after that, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives but resigned midway through his term in protest against the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Though claiming not to know of plans for an armed raid, he did provide financing to John Brown. Frederick Douglass would dedicate his second autobiography, My Bondage and My Freedom, to Gerrit Smith.
Here is Frederick Douglass with Gerrit Smith at an anti-slavery convention in 1850:
Smith supported the Union cause during the Civil War and campaigned for Abraham Lincoln's re-election. Along with most Radical Republicans, he opposed personal vengeance against the former rebels. He contributed to posting the bond that freed Jefferson Davis from prison. He campaigned for Ulysses Grant in 1868 and was delegate to the 1872 Republican National Convention.
Here is a Video Version of this article on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1dlZ4wLvf8s
Michael Zak is author of Back to Basics for the Republican Party, a history of GOP civil rights achievement.
Each day, Michael Zak's grandoldpartisan YouTube channel and Grand Old Partisan blog celebrate more than sixteen decades of Republican heritage. And, see Speech Raves for audience feedback from his presentations in thirty-one states so far.
He also wrote the 2005 Republican Freedom Calendar.
Clarence Thomas cited Back to Basics for the Republican Party in a Supreme Court decision.
See www.youtube.com/q?v=IzxKCiXc5Qc for a brief video of a Texas Republican praising Back to Basics for the Republican Party.
"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!"
"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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