The true history of the Republican Party

April 28, 2015

The Glenn Beck Program

As promised, this morning on radio, Glenn revealed the true history of the Republican party in relation to the Civil Rights Movement. Glenn used an article from Gateway Pundit entitled "ON MLK Jr Day-Here's the realy history of the US Civil Rights Movement You Won't Read About" by Jim Hoft as one of his main sources doing his on-air history lesson.

During the program, Glenn pointed out that he is not a member of the Republican party, saying "I'm not here as a Republican shill...They've lost their way. But let's get history right."

Why is the history of a political party so important? Who cares if someone labels themself a Democrat or a Republican, right? As Glenn said, "Why are we having to explain ourselves?" Because, it was the Republican party that fought for the Civil Rights movement and the right to vote. As Glenn said: "we have to stand up for ourselves...enough is enough...Here's who we are! Here's who you are. Why are we defending our record? Our record is fine...We should be putting them [Democrats] on the offense and asking them to explain their record...in every city that they have destroyed."

Watch some of the facts and Glenn's powerful argument below. A full transcript has been provided so you can have all the facts, as well as, the link to the original article at Gateway Pundit.

Rough Transcript Below:

GLENN: The left is rejecting Bruce Jenner because he has said he is a Republican. And the Republicans are the ones that have always been the sticks in the mud. The Republicans are the ones that have the problems. They're the racists. They're the haters. I just want to go through history. And I want to take you -- I want to take you from 18 -- 1862 to 1870. 1871.

And I just want to -- I want to show you the roots of the Republican Party. What was -- why -- who was the first Republican president?

Abraham Lincoln. The Republican Party started in the 1850s. It gathered steam because there was enough -- listen to this. There were enough Whigs and enough Democrats that afternoon that what was happening with slaves was wrong. And they knew the Whigs and the Democrats wouldn't do anything. Congress was just stalled on it and wouldn't do anything. Does this sound familiar? Finally on both sides, they said enough is enough. And within a decade, they had nominated and elected the first Republican president of the United States. Abraham Lincoln. And had you seen him? Not an easy election.

January 1st, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation has been issued in 1862. January 1, 1863, it starts. And they begin to implement the Republicans Confiscation Act of 1862. The Democratic party continues to support slavery. February 9th, 1864, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton deliver over 100,000 signatures to US Senate supporting -- when you think -- when you hear those two names. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton, which party do you think of? It's women's rights. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton deliver over 100,000 signatures to the U.S. Senate supporting the Republican plan for the constitutional amendment to ban slavery.

June 15, 1864, Republican Congress votes for equal pay for African-American troops serving in the U.S. Army. June 28, 1864, Republican majority in Congress repeals the Fugitive Slave Act. October 29, 1864, African-Americans abolitionist, Sojourner HEP Truth says to President Lincoln, I was never treated by anyone with more kindness than he has shown me. January 31st, 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment banning slavery passed the US House with unanimous Republican support and intense Democratic opposition.

The Republican support, 100 percent. The Democratic party support, 23 percent.

That's to ban slavery.

March 3rd, 1865, Republican Congress establish Free Men's Bureau to provide healthcare, education, and technical assistance to emancipated slaves. That's the Republican Congress.

April 8th, 1865, Thirteenth Amendment banning slavery passed by the US Senate. Republican support, 100 percent. Democrat support, 37 percent.

June 19th -- on June Teenth, US troops land in Galveston, Texas, to enforce a ban on slavery that has been declared for more than two years by the Emancipation Proclamation.

November 22nd, 1865, Republicans denounce Democratic legislature of Mississippi for enacting black codes, which institutionalized racial discrimination. 1866, Republican Party passes the Civil Rights Act of 1866 to protect the rights -- did you even know there was one?

The Republican Party passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 to protect the rights of newly freed slaves.

December 6th, 1865, the Republican party's Thirteenth Amendment banning slavery is ratified.

1865, the KKK launches as a, quote, terrorist arm, end quote, of the Democratic party.

PAT: Of the what party?

GLENN: The Democratic party. The Klan.

PAT: Wait. The KKK.

STU: You mean the Tea Party? You said Democratic party. I think you meant Tea Party.

GLENN: Democratic party.

February 5th, 1866, US representative Thaddeus HEP Stevens, Republican from Pennsylvania, introduces legislation successfully opposed by Democratic President Andrew Johnson to implement forty acres at a mule relief by distributing land to former slaves. Stopped by the Democrats.

April 9th, 1866, Republican Congress overrides Democratic President Johnson's veto, the Civil Rights Act of 1866, conferring rights of citizenship on African-Americans, and it becomes law. The Democratic president vetoed the Civil Rights Act. The Republicans stood when they knew what they were all about.

April 19th, 1866, thousands assembled in Washington, DC, to celebrate Republican party's abolition of slavery. May 10th, 1866, US House passes Republican's Fourteenth Amendment, guaranteed due process and equal protection of the laws to all citizens. 100 percent of the Democrats vote no.

PAT: Jeez.

GLENN: I am not a fan of the Republican Party. I'm not here as a Republican shill. I don't like them. I'm not a member of the Republican Party. They've lost their way. But let's get history right.

June 8th -- sorry, July 16th, 1866. Republican Congress overrides Democratic President Andrew Johnson's veto of the Free Men's Bureau Act, which protects former slaves from black codes denying their rights.

July 28th, 1866, Republican Congress authorized formation of the buffalo soldiers. Yes, the buffalo soldiers, two regiments of African-American's calvary men.

July 30th, 1866, Democratic controlled city of New Orleans orders police to storm racially integrated Republican meetings. The raid kills 40. Wounds more than 150.

January 8th, 1867, Republicans override Democratic President Johnson's veto of a law granting voting rights to African-Americans in D.C.

July 19th, 1867, Republican Congress overrides the veto of legislation protecting the voting rights of all African-Americans.

March 30th, 1868, Republicans being impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson who declared, this country is for white men. And by God as long as I'm president, it shall be a government of white men.

You never learn that. When we had the impeachment trial of Bill Clinton, they always talked about Johnson, but they never taught us this part of history, did they? Ever heard that quote?

PAT: No.

GLENN: You know why? He was a Democrat. May 20th, 1868, Republican National Convention marks the debut of an African-American politician. In fact, many. Two of them, Pinckney Pinchback and James Harris attended as delegates and several serve as presidential electors.

1868, July 9, Fourteenth Amendment passes and recognizes newly freed slaves as US citizens. The Republican Party support, 94 percent. Democratic support, zero.

September 3rd, 1868, twenty-five African-Americans in Georgia legislature, all Republicans expelled by Democratic majority. Later reinstated by Republican Congress.

September 12th, 1868, civil rights activist, Tunist Cambell HEP and all other African-Americans in the Georgia Senate, every one a Republican, expelled by a Democratic majority. They were later reinstated by a Republican Congress.

September 28th, 1868, Democrats in Louisiana murder nearly 300 African-Americans who tried to prevent an assault against a Republican newspaper editor. We're coming back to this one.

October 7, 1868, Republicans denounce Democratic Party's national campaign theme. The Democratic Party's national campaign theme in 1868. Do you know what it was?

This is a white man's country, let white men rule. We're the Democratic Party.

PAT: Jeez. Wow.

GLENN: October 22, 1868, while campaigning for reelection, Republican James Hines HEP is assassinated by Democratic terrorists who were organized as the KKK.

November 3rd, 1868, Republican Ulysses S. Grant defeats Democratic Seymour HEP in a presidential election. Seymour HEP has denounced the Emancipation Proclamation.

December 10th, '69, Republican governor, John Campbell of Wyoming territory. Republican governor of Wyoming. Signs the first in-nation law granting the right to women to vote and to hold Republican -- sorry, to hold office. A Republican.

February 3rd, 1870. US House ratifies the Fifteenth Amendment. Democratic support, 3 percent. Republican support, 97.

February 25, 1870, Hiram HEP Rhodes becomes the first black seated in the U.S. Senate. Becoming the first black in Congress and the first black senator.

PAT: It was the next year when the Republican War on Women began, right, 1871?

STU: We're about to get to that.

PAT: There we go.

GLENN: I'm going to skip a whole 'nother page of these. Because I want to get to something here at the end.

February 28th, 1871, Republican Congress enforces -- passes the Enforcement Act, providing federal protection for African-American voters. March 22nd, 1871, Spartanberg HEP Republican newspaper denounces Klan. The Klan campaigned to eradicate the Republican Party in South Carolina.

That brings us to this. Remember I said, September 28th, 1868, a mob of Democrats massacred nearly 300 African-American Republicans in Louisiana. It began when racist Democrats attacked a newspaper editor, a white Republican and a school teacher for X slaves. Several African-Americans rushed to the assistance of their friends. And in response, Democrats, quote, went on a Negro hunt killing every African-American. All of whom were Republicans. As all African-Americans at the time were.

April 28th, 1871, the Republican Congress enacts the anti-Ku Klux Klan act, outlawing the Democratic Party terrorist group. Which oppressed African-Americans.

That's who these people were.

PAT: You didn't even get to the 1960s. 1950s. 1960s.

GLENN: No. I didn't even get to the 1930s. The 1930s are pretty --

PAT: But as late as the '60s, it was Republicans passing civil rights. Republicans pushing for it. Republicans voting for it. Democrats fighting against it. People like Al Gore Sr. fighting against it. People like Lyndon Baines Johnson, HEP the hero of the left, fighting against it at first.

GLENN: People saw some of that if they saw Selma. They saw how racist this guy was. And I contend they're still this racist. Look at what they've done to the great city of Detroit. Look what those policies have done. Look what it's brought on to the African-American. Look at what the great Democratic policies have done to the city of Washington, DC. To the city of Philadelphia.

Name any city --

PAT: Cleveland.

GLENN: Where the Democrats have ruled since the 1960s. At some point, you say, this doesn't make any sense. At some point you say, I'm not getting any better. This is not helping me.

They are -- they are playing this card again. And this time, we have to stand up for ourselves. This time we have to stand up and say, enough is enough. I know your record. I know who you are. See, I have in the vaults, here at the Mercury Studios. I have the anti-Democratic and anti-Republican literature that went back and forth. The Republicans used to defend themselves.

They used to say, I've had enough! Here's the record! Here's who we are! Here who you are. Why are we defending our record? Our record is fine. Why are we defending our record? We should be putting them on the offense and asking them to explain their record, in Detroit, in Cleveland, in Philadelphia, in Washington. In every city that they have destroyed.

Why are we having to explain ourselves?

Now they're doing it with another class of people. Gays. Women.

Remember, it was the Republicans that gave you the right to vote in the first place. The first time, they had to drag the progressives, kicking and screaming.

Let's stop taking it and being quiet. With love and peace and armed with the facts. It's time to go to battle.

Because it's only going to get harder from here. When Hillary Clinton says what she said over the weekend, play it, Pat. This is so critical for you to hear. This is a -- this is possibly what the press will tell you is the next president of the United States. Hillary Clinton. In a speech just this weekend said this.

HILLARY: Laws have to be backed up with resources and political will. And deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs, and structural biases, have to be changed.

PAT: Wow.

GLENN: Your deep-seated religious belief has got to change. Game on, gang. It is here.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The dangerous lie: Rights as government privileges, not God-given

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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