As the 1856 elections approached, Lincoln joined the Republicans and attended the Bloomington Convention, which formally established the Illinois Republican Party.
æz ðə wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti sˈɪks ᵻlˈɛkʃənz ɐpɹˈoʊtʃt, lˈɪŋkən dʒˈɔɪnd ðə ɹᵻpˈʌblɪkənz ænd ɐtˈɛndᵻd ðə blˈuːmɪŋtən kənvˈɛnʃən, wˌɪtʃ fˈɔːɹməli ɪstˈæblɪʃt ðɪ ˌɪlənˈɔɪ ɹᵻpˈʌblɪkən pˈɑːɹɾi.