James Ashley, Republican anti-slavery congresssman

Grand Old Partisan salutes Rep. James Ashley (R-OH), born this day in 1824. After entering politics as a Democrat, he helped establish the Ohio Republican Party because of his firm opposition to slavery. He chaired the state convention in 1858.
In 1858, Ashley was elected to the first of five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was the first Member of Congress to introduce a constitutional amendment to ban slavery, though his was not the version that eventually passed. Rep. Ashley introduced the resolution to impeach President Andrew Johnson (D-TN).
President Ulysses Grant later appointed him Territorial Governor of Montana.

Michael Zak is a popular speaker to Republican organizations around the country. He is the author of Back to Basics for the Republican Party, cited by Clarence Thomas in a Supreme Court decision. Each day, the Grand Old Partisan blog celebrates 154 years of Republican heroes and heroics. See www.RepublicanBasics.com for more information.