What was the primary focus of the Republican Party during the election of 1868?

The primary focus of the Republican Party during the election of 1868 was the continuation of Reconstruction. Following the Civil War, the nation faced the monumental task of rebuilding, both physically and socially. The Republican Party, having endorsed the policies aimed at integrating formerly enslaved African Americans into society as equal citizens, promoted measures to ensure civil rights and political representation for these individuals.

The election of 1868 occurred during a critical phase in Reconstruction, marked by efforts to implement the recently passed 14th and 15th Amendments, which aimed to secure citizenship and voting rights for African American men. Ulysses S. Grant, the Republican candidate and former Union general, ran on a platform that aligned with the continued support for Reconstruction, emphasizing the need to protect the rights of newly freed individuals and to maintain the progress made against the legacies of the Confederacy and slavery.

While other social issues, such as women’s suffrage and labor rights, were emerging at this time, they did not take precedence in the Republican Party's agenda during the 1868 election. The focus was primarily on ensuring the success of Reconstruction policies and maintaining the party's gains in the South following the war.