Grand Old Partisan salutes Edward Baker. What a career he had!
Born in London, Baker immigrated to Pennsylvania with his parents as a child and then to Illinois as a teenager. There, he joined the Whig Party and was elected to the state legislature. He became friends with Abraham Lincoln, who named his second son after him.
In 1844, Baker won a term in the U.S. House of Representatives. The young congressman resigned in order to command a regiment during the Mexican War. He then won another term in Congress.
Baker next moved to San Francisco in 1851 and practiced law. Within months of moving to Oregon in 1859 he was elected to the U.S. Senate as a Republican.
Outbreak of civil war, Senator Baker raised a regiment of Pennsylvania volunteers and became its colonel. October 21st 1861, rebels shot him while he was leading an impetuous attack along the Potomac River about thirty miles northwest of Washington, DC. When the President heard of his death, "With bowed head, and tears rolling down his furrowed cheeks, his face pale and wan, his heart heaving with emotion, he almost fell as he stepped into the street."
Here is a Video Version of this article on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2bT-Lxn1lCs
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 heroes and heroics. 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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