Why is Kamala Harris in Ripon, Wis., the birthplace of the Republican Party?
When Vice President Kamala Harris campaigns in Ripon today, she'll be visiting the birthplace of the Republican Party.
And that's not a mistake. Harris will be joined by former Rep. Liz Cheney, who was born in Madison and is one of the most prominent Republican critics of Trump in the country. The campaign also touted endorsements from former Republican Wisconsin lawmakers ahead of the Thursday event.
According to a senior campaign official, Harris plans to address the significance of the Little White School House, which hosted meetings that helped form the Republican Party in 1854. Harris will nod to the history of the traditional party and make appeals to independent and Republican voters, the official said.
Here's what to know about the history of Ripon, which isn't the only place to claim status as the birthplace of the Grand Old Party.
What is the Little White Schoolhouse?
The Little White Schoolhouse was built in 1853 as the first public school building in Ripon. On March 20, 1854, it hosted a meeting that brought together Whigs, Democrats and Free Soilers, who created a new entity called the Republican Party.
The group "believed that their respective parties could not prevent the extension of slavery to the north," according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. "They come out of the schoolhouse in agreement that one unified front was crucial to the fight against slavery and thus began the Republican Party."
More: The Republican Party started in Wisconsin. Here's what to know about the GOP's history
From 1860 to 1908, the building was a private residence and the home of newspaper publisher, author and politician George W. Peck, who had been elected mayor of Milwaukee and governor of Wisconsin in the 1890s.
The Little White Schoolhouse was designated a National Historic Site in 1974. It was re-listed as a historic place after moving in 2023 — the third time it's been relocated — to a location with better visibility and accessibility. The free-admission museum is open to visitors during the summer and arranges tours during other seasons.
A replica of the schoolhouse, built by high schoolers, was also brought to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this summer. Ripon got a shoutout from Republican Party of Wisconsin chairman Brian Schimming during the delegate roll call.
Has Michigan claimed to be the birthplace of the GOP?
Jackson, Michigan, has also claimed status as the birthplace of the Republican Party. On July 6, 1854, a convention was held to nominate a statewide anti-slavery ticket. Similar conventions followed in other states, adopting the Republican Party label.
For years, the Republican National Committee's website included the Ripon meeting and the Jackson convention in its origin story. The website currently refers to neither specific event, only that the party was "initially united in 1854 by the promise to abolish slavery."
Where is Ripon, Wisconsin?
Ripon is located in Fond du Lac County, a county that voted about 63% for former President Donald Trump in 2020.
The city has a population of around 8,000 people. Depending on your definition of the Fox Valley, Ripon is located southwest of the Fox Cities, like Appleton and Neenah.
Harris will speak at Ripon College, a private liberal arts college that enrolls about 800 undergraduates. The college was founded in 1851.
More: What communities are part of the Fox Cities? And are they different from the Fox Valley?
Chris Foran of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kamala Harris visits Ripon, Wisconsin, where GOP was born