Plant the Seed: A Republican Legacy
| Letter to the Editor by Susan Andersen Haydock |
The Republican Party was born in Wisconsin through the hands of people dedicated to halting slavery’s spread and preserving democratic ideals promoting, Freedom, Responsibility, Aspiration, and Community.
The Republican Party is not just an institution; it is a vessel for every dreamer who
dares to build a better world. From the factory workers of Milwaukee’s South side with their groilers and lunch pails to the mirrored walls of the Plankinton Arcade, from industrialists to poll workers from platform speeches, to quiet civic acts, our family - our Republican Party has always believed
Everybody in. Go for it.
Plant the Seed: A Republican Legacy
If, when you read this article on the Republican Party and find out who we are, you think of our current administration, many will say Donald J. Trump. I think of Erwen and Margaret Andersen.
Read on it is quite a story to be told.
“For every apple you eat, make sure to plant a seed and nurture its growth to be strong straight and true, to withstand any storm.” That was Erwen Martin Valentine Andersen’s creed not just a proverb, but a principle. A true Republican, he believed that whatever you use, you must replenish - maybe not in the same way but you must guide its growth. Change is inevitable, but the roots remain, growing stronger, deeper, and more enduring. From every dollar earned, leave behind something permanent. Something that grows. Something that keeps our country free.
He and Margaret were ambitious young people in the early 1900’s, builders of beauty, keepers of civic rituals, and believers in a value system that included everyone. They didn’t just strive to be more; they strove to do better, to lift others. Erwen and Margaret planted their seeds in the in the diverse city of Milwaukee, WI, the hearts of train men and musicians, and in the hands of his granddaughter who now writes their story.
Margaret planted hers in the polling stations, in the fur-lined corridors of Gimbels, in the quiet vigilance of civic duty. He in his attention to modeling the values of freedom, ambition, success and civic responsibility. Erwen’s were planted through his modeling of values: freedom, ambition, success, and civic responsibility.
They expected that they would leave behind a legacy rooted in dignity, work, and presence in the civic community.
From 1854 to 2024, the Republican chant remains: Liberty. Sovereignty. Opportunity. Community.
My grandfather’s creed “For every apple you eat, plant a seed” is the embodiment of this platform. It’s not just policy. A vow to leave behind something permanent. Something free.
A Party Born in Wisconsin
The Republican Party was famously born in Ripon, Wisconsin, in 1854, when anti-slavery activists gathered in protest of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. From that moment, Wisconsin became a crucible for Republican ideals—liberty, reform, and fierce debate.
Born of Resistance: Wisconsin’s Anti-Slavery Origins
On March 20, 1854, seventeen citizens gathered in the Little White Schoolhouse in Ripon, WI to protest the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which threatened to expand slavery into new territories. Led by Alvan Bovay, they formed a new political party, the Republican Party, dedicated to halting slavery’s spread and preserving democratic ideals. This wasn’t just a political act. It was a moral stand. Wisconsin’s press, including editors like Horace Rublee and Rufus King, rallied support for the cause. The state became a beacon of abolitionist energy, and the Republican Party’s identity was forged in the fires of justice.
Justice remains one of our enduring standards.
Women in the Republican Movement: From Suffrage to Strategy
Though women couldn’t vote until 1920, when Margaret was 31, they were deeply involved in Republican organizing long before. These women weren’t just supporters. They were strategists, poll worker and influencers in the smoky backroom of power.
Margaret Bessie Kleber Andersen: The First Storyteller
My grandmother, Margaret, was one of these women.
She worked the polls with those tiny pencils, watched ballots drop like whispered secrets, and knew the “dirt” on every statewide politician. She attended Republican conventions—likely in Chicago, the Midwest’s political epicenter—and sat in closed-room meetings where men decided who would run, while she quietly shaped the narrative. Her poll worker badge, her convention pass, and her stories are artifacts of a life lived in the folds of history. She wasn’t just present. She was listening, remembering, and retelling. She was the first storyteller, passing down the thread that now runs through me.
Erwen Martin Valentine Andersen, a staunch Republican with a sharp eye and sharper style, arrived in Milwaukee at sixteen, full of ambition. Another key mark of the Republican Party ambition, and he had it. His first job was in the Plankinton Arcade, that grand cathedral of commerce, where polished marble met the hum of possibility, and the elegance of presentation. As you read the stories of past and present leaders they all have ambition everyone.
Legacy and Ritual
Margaret’s legacy is not just political, it’s mythic. She stood at the threshold of civic ritual, handing out ballots like offerings, watching democracy unfold in real time for all. She handed out pencils and watched the world change. She knew who whispered in back rooms and who lied on the ballot. She was the first to tell me that politics is ritual, and truth is a vote cast in silence. Margaret Bessie Kleber Andersen was my grandmother and the first storyteller of our Republican legacy.
By the early 1900s, Milwaukee County, especially the Third Ward, was a mosaic of immigrant communities, labor movements, and political intrigue. It was here that Margaret Bessie Kleber Andersen stepped into the fray not as a passive observer, but as a poll worker, a convention-goer, a confidante to the inner workings of power. Our party today still holds this: a community of
members, each with a role. She knew the rules: 21 years old, a citizen, and six months in the ward. She watched names written in pencil, but she remembered them in ink.
Citizenship Requirement: Yes, voters had to be U.S. citizens—or, in earlier years, foreign-born individuals who had declared their intent to become citizens. By the early 20th century, naturalization was typically required. Wisconsin also mandated that voters reside in the state for a minimum period (often six months) before voting.
The Platforms of the Republican Party Then and Now
Republican Party Platform – 1854 Origins - The Republican Party was born in Ripon, Wisconsin, in response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which threatened to expand slavery into new territories. The first formal platform was adopted in
1856, but the 1854 founding principles were clear and fierce:
Opposition to Slavery: a moral and constitutional stand.
Federal Sovereignty: Congress must prohibit slavery and polygamy “twin relics of barbarism
Constitutional Integrity: Preserve the Constitution, rights of the states, and the Union.
Universal Rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all citizens.
Kansas as a Free State: Condemn suppression and support freedom.
Republican Party Platform – 2024 Vision
Adopted at the 2024 Republican National Convention, the current platform reflects a populist, nationalist vision rooted in economic revival, border security, and constitutional defense:
America First: Prioritizes domestic manufacturing, energy independence, and economic revival.
Border Security: Complete the border wall and enforce deportations
Constitutional Freedoms: Free speech, religious liberty, gun rights, election integrity.
Traditional Values: Opposes CRT, radical gender ideology, and EV mandates.
Military and Global Stability: Strengthen defense, prevent conflict, build missile shield.
Social Programs: Protect Social Security and Medicare
Education and Patriotism: Cut funding to controversial curricula, restore patriotic values.
From 1854 to 2024, the Republican chant remains: Liberty. Sovereignty. Opportunity. Community. My grandfather’s creed “For every apple you eat, plant a seed” is the embodiment of this platform. It’s not just policy. It’s legacy. It’s the vow to leave behind something permanent, something free.
Poll Worker and Political Insider
Margaret’s stories of working the polls, those tiny pencils, the folded ballots, the whispered rumors paint a vivid picture of civic engagement. She wasn’t just handing out ballots; she was absorbing the pulse of the electorate. Her knowledge of “the dirt” on statewide politicians suggests she had access to the kinds of closed-door meetings where decisions were made long before the public vote.
These “smoke-filled rooms” were real. In the early 20th century, party bosses and delegates often met privately to decide who would be nominated, especially before the rise of primary elections. Margaret’s presence in those rooms speaks volumes about her influence and trust within the party.
Republican Conventions and Her Role
While I don’t yet have the exact year or location of the convention she attended, it’s likely she was present at one of the Republican National Conventions held in Chicago, which hosted several between 1904 and 1960. Chicago was a hub for Midwestern Republicans, and Milwaukee’s proximity made it a natural pilgrimage for politically active Wisconsinites. If she attended a state convention, it may have been held in Madison or Milwaukee, where delegates gathered to select candidates and shape the party platform. These events were often more intimate, and women like Margaret—especially those with deep local ties—played key roles in organizing, strategizing, and influencing outcomes. These two young people were born in the late 19th century, in 1889 and he 1890 were there.
A Party of Possibility: From Then to Now
Erwen Martin Valentine Andersen was raised in the Danish community of Neenah-Menasha, where hard work met hope and every brother and sister carved a path toward success. Their story wasn’t just personal—it was emblematic of what Wisconsin and the Republican Party offered: a ladder for every dreamer, a place where ambition was not just allowed, but expected. Today, that spirit lives on. The Republican Party of Wisconsin still champions freedom, opportunity, and liberty for all. It is a party of community, not exclusion, a movement that believes in equal access to education, business, and civic life, regardless of race, origin, or background.
Everybody in. Go for it. That was the unspoken motto of Erwen’s generation—and it remains ours. The Republican Party is not a relic of the past, but a living invitation to build a new world today for yourself and your family. Whether you’re a first-generation immigrant, a small business owner, a poll worker like Margaret, or a visionary like Susan, there is room here for your voice, your values, and your vow.
From the Plankinton Arcade to the polling stations, from beauty salons to backroom strategy, the Republican Party has always been shaped by those who show up, speak out, and serve. Grandpa Erwen did. Margaret did. And now, so do you.
Plant the Seed: A Republican Legacy
From the earliest platform of 1856 to today’s declarations of liberty and opportunity, the Republican Party has repeated the same chant:
Freedom, Responsibility, Aspiration. Community, It is not a party of exclusion—it is a party of invitation. It is not a relic—it is a seed. And every generation must plant anew.
Erwen planted his seed in the Caswell Building, in the Danish community of Neenah-Menasha, in the hearts of train men and musicians, in the hands of his granddaughter who now writes his story.
Margaret planted hers in the polling stations, in the fur-lined corridors of Gimbels, in the quiet vigilance of civic duty. And I, their granddaughter, have eaten many apples in my time. I have planted seeds— in classrooms and support of the Republicans, and our country in poems and rituals, in the hearts of those I’ve loved
and the stories I’ve dared to tell. Wherever I’ve walked, I’ve left behind a seed. Not for glory, but for freedom. Not for power, but for presence.
Dedication
Grandpa and Grandma,
thank you for planting the seeds—
of respect, of value,
of constant care for our beautiful country
and the heritage we carry like heirloom apples.
Your ambition was not for self, but for legacy.
Your values were not for show, but for shelter.
And your chant—freedom, responsibility, aspiration, community—
still echoes in me.
This is my vow:
To plant wherever I go.
To honor what you built.
To keep our country free.
Endnotes
Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854):
This legislation allowed territories to decide whether to permit slavery, effectively
repealing the Missouri Compromise. Its passage galvanized anti-slavery activists and led to the founding of the Republican Party in Ripon, Wisconsin.
Source: Library of Congress
Little White Schoolhouse, Ripon, WI:
On March 20, 1854, seventeen citizens met here to protest the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Led by Alvan Bovay, they formed the Republican Party—dedicated to halting slavery’s expansion and preserving democratic ideals.
Source: Wisconsin Historical Society
Horace Rublee and Rufus King:
Influential Republican editors in Wisconsin. Rublee edited the Wisconsin State Journal and King the Milwaukee Sentinel, both instrumental in rallying support for abolition and Republican principles.
Source: Wisconsin Magazine of History
Theodora Winton Youmans (1916):
A Wisconsin suffragist who led a parade at the Republican National Convention in
Chicago, symbolizing the fight for women’s voting rights.
Source: Wisconsin Women Making History
Republican National Conventions in Chicago (1904–1960):
Chicago hosted multiple conventions during this period, serving as a political hub for Midwestern Republicans. Milwaukee’s proximity made it a natural pilgrimage for activists like Margaret. Source: National Archives
Wisconsin Voting Requirements (Early 20th Century):
Voters had to be U.S. citizens (or have declared intent), at least 21 years old, and
residents of their ward for six months. Naturalization was typically required for foreign-born voters.
Source: Wisconsin Blue Book, 1910 Edition
Plankinton Arcade, Milwaukee:
A grand commercial center in early 20th-century Milwaukee, known for its marble
interiors, gaslight chandeliers, and bustling commerce.
Source: Milwaukee Public Library Archives
Caswell Building, Neenah-Menasha:
Located in Wisconsin’s Danish-American community, this building was part of Erwen’s early professional life and civic engagement.Source: Neenah Historical Society
Republican Party Platform – 1856: The first formal platform emphasized opposition to slavery, federal sovereignty, constitutional integrity, and universal rights. Source: The American Presidency Project
Republican Party Platform – 2024:
Adopted at the 2024 National Convention, this platform reflects populist and nationalist priorities, including economic revival, border security, and constitutional defense. Source: Republican National Committee