In 1856 Julian was a delegate to the convention in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , that established the Republican Party . Julain served as chairman of the committee on national organization . In 1860 he was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-seventh Congress , and won re-election in the Thirty-eighth , Thirty-ninth , Fortieth , and Forty-first Congresses , serving from 1861 to 1871 . Julian , among the most radical of the U.S. House Republicans , was an ardent abolitionist who also became known for his support of civil rights , women 's suffrage , and land reform . Appointed to the congressional Committee on Public Lands in 1861 , he also served as its chairman from 1863 to 1871 . In addition , Julian was chairman of the Expenditures in the Navy Department ( Thirty-ninth Congress )
convention
1856 Republican National Convention
George Washington Julian