| Popis: |
Using legislative debates and print media, this thesis explores how voters in Wisconsin interpreted and then fully embraced liberal ideology during the mid-nineteenth century. In the span of less than two years between 1854 and 1855, the Republican Party emerged from non-existence to become the dominant party in Wisconsin. Widespread antislavery sentiment in the electorate contributed to the success of the Republican Party. But an antislavery party with broad appeal only emerged after Wisconsinites possessed a unified self-perception as uniquely progressive in their economy and government. Wisconsinites saw themselves as freer, more progressive, and more virtuous than people anywhere else. In turn, they believed that anything that individuals did out of their own economic self-interest was not only acceptable, but also aided in fostering an ordered and virtuous society. The Republican Party in Wisconsin emerged as voters looked for a northern party to protect and promote liberal ideals. |
