Show three party divisions had name republican the name republican has been applied to three parties a fact which gives rise to contusion confusion the re b lican party of 0 today originated in 1831 1854 56 after the dissolution of the whig party the southern whig went over to the democratic party on the slavery question and the northern northeim whigs affiliated with tile the free soil and know nothing parties at a meeting held at ripon als in 1851 a group of whigs free sollers and democrats threatened to form fora a new party it if the kansas nebraska bill passed the bill passed and ou oil july 0 1854 representatives of the same groups met at jackson mich and formed a party to which they gave the name republican in the election that tall fall the new party carried 15 ol of the 31 states the dem socratic party as now known began with the anti federalists who opposed the federal constitution be cause ot of the rights surrendered by the states to the federal government in 1792 it took the name republican party to oppose the federalist party it was later sometimes known as the dem democratic republic republican can party which name is still the official designation ot of the democratic party after its principles were clearly formulated in 1798 by thomas jefferson it was sometimes called democratic but generally republican until andrew jacksons administration which began in he was the first president to be officially listed under the name democrat |