The primary goal of the Republican Party when it was formed in the mid-19th century was to oppose the spread of slavery into new territories and states in the United States. The party was founded in 1854 by anti-slavery activists and former members of the Whig Party who believed that slavery was morally wrong and a threat to the nation's unity. The Republican Party's platform also included support for economic development and infrastructure, as well as opposition to the expansion of slavery and efforts to preserve the Union.
