The 2000 Republican National Convention is the sixth hosted by Philadelphia. The first, in 1856, nominated "The Trailblazer" John C. Fremont.

It is not surprising that the GOP chose Philadelphia to hold presidential nominating conventions five times in the past. Significantly, Philadelphia was the scene of the new party's first convention in 1856. The Republicans returned to pick presidential candidates in 1872, 1900, 1940 and 1948. In contrast, the Democratic Party chose Philadelphia only twice for national conventions in 1936 and 1948.

What follows is an encapsulated look at Philadelphia's past conventions.

John C. Fremont (left) was the choice of the first Republican National Convention, held here in 1854. Though Fremont lost to James Buchanan, he was considered again in 1864, but declined to run feeling it would cause division within the party.

• 1856 • Ominous talk of pending civil war was rampant, and there was a real feeling of national crisis when Republicans gathered to choose their first presidential candidate at Philadelphia's Musical Fund Hall in mid June.

The new Republican Party was born in 1854 at a meeting in Ripon, Wisconsin. Abolitionists and those opposed to extension of slavery gathered to protest the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which opened territory to slavery that had been forbidden by the old Missouri Compromise of 1820. The new party was an umbrella that took in members of the rapidly disintegrating Whig Party, abolitionists, Free-Soilers and anti-slavery Democrats. It was certainly a regional party — a party of the North and the West.

About 600 delegates attended the convention. More than 100 newspaper reporters were seated at tables in the front of Music Fund Hall. The delegates got right down to business the first day by adopting a platform. The key plank was firm opposition to the extension of slavery."

The Trailblazer, John C. Fremont emerged as the party's candidate. And for a time, a relatively unknown delegate from Illinois emerged as a strong V.P. contender — Abraham Lincoln. Four years later at Chicago's Republican convention he would emerge as his party's choice.

• 1872 • You would expect to hear harmony at the glorious Academy of Music in Philadelphia, the site of the 1872 convention. Indeed, it was so. Only the sweet sound of party harmony wafted from the grand concert hall when the GOP gathered there on June 5, 1872 to nominate President Ulysses S. Grant for a second term.

The Republican Party arrived at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia to hold a convention whose outcome was practically predetermined. Amid great pomp and circumstance, the Party nominated incumbent President Ulysses S. Grant for a second term in the White House.

Of course, there were plenty of Republicans who could no longer stomach the stench of corruption, nepotism and ineptitude that polluted the Grant Administration. But these naysayers did not come to Philadelphia. Those determined to dump Grant created a party organization called the Liberal Republicans. They gathered in Cincinnati in May, and after much dissension and six ballots chose New York Tribune publisher Horace "Go West Young Man" Greeley — a sure loser — as its presidential candidate.

One wit declared the Grant-Greeley contest was the choice between "hemlock and strychnine." Another said the choice was between "a man with no ideas [Grant] and a man with too many ideas." Since there was no question that Grant would be the unanimous choice of the delegates, the Philadelphia convention was mostly about pageantry and spectacle.

Theodore Roosevelt was chosen by William McKinley to be the vice president on his 1900 ticket. Roosevelt would be sworn in as the 26th president after the assassination of William McKinley in 1901.

• 1900 • The convention of 1900, like that of 2000, lacked in suspense when it came to the GOP nominee. Just as it is known that George W. Bush would be the Republican choice for President in 2000, it was known that then President William T. McKinley would be nominated for a second time in 1900. One big question on GOP'ers lips in 1900 was: "Who would be VP?" Sound familiar?

After much politicking and a festive atmosphere at Civic Center Convention Hall, Teddy Roosevelt emerged as the surprise choice. Delegates were favorably impressed with the City of Brotherly Love, with one Oklahoman declaring, Philadelphia has set a pace as a Convention City that will make all succeeding convention meeting places hustle to equal it."

• 1940 • The Republican nomination was wide-open when the GOP met at Convention Hall in 1940. America looked at the world warily as the Nazis had overrun Poland and menaced England and France. A crisis usually favors the incumbent, and because of the European crisis, President Franklin Roosevelt, let it be know that he would run for an unprecedented third term if his party "drafted" him.

GOP front-runners were Sen. Arthur A. Vandenberg of Michigan; Senator Robert A. Taft of Ohio, son of the former president and Manhattan District Attorney Thomas E. Dewey.

Even ex-President Herbert Hoover had a shot.

On the first ballot, Dewey was ahead followed by Taft and Willkie. Thereafter, Dewey steadily lost strength while Taft and Willkie picked up votes. On the fourth ballot Willkie was ahead but short of the 501 votes needed for nomination.

"Not since the turbulent 1920 convention which finally led to the nomination of the ill-fated Harding had the Republicans staged such a fierce fight," wrote a Record reporter. "Both candidates (Taft and Willkie) went into the sixth round fighting furiously. The convention floor was the scene of hectic activity as the rival managers dashed back and forth fighting desperately for votes." On the sixth roll call — 1 a.m. Friday — Willkie finally went over the top.

He would be crushed by FDR in the November election.

Thomas Dewey -- although a three-time governor of New York -- is most remembered as the "Dewey" of the famous Chicago Tribune headline "Dewey Defeats Truman."

• 1948 • While both major parties (as well as Henry Wallace's Progressive Party) gathered in Philadelphia's sweltering summer of 1948, a major question dominated American thoughts: Who would steer the U.S. through what would become known as the Cold War?

The Republicans chose Thomas Dewey who selected Earl Warren as his running mate. It The Democrats chose incumbent Harry Truman.

Despite an attractive Republican ticket and polls showing Truman well behind, 1948 went down in history as the year the entire pollster and pundits fell on their faces.

• 2000 • The Republicans have 2 wins and 3 losses when conventions are held in Philadelphia.

George W. Bush chose former Defense Secretary Dick Cheney as his running mate on July 25.

George W. Bush had fought off a spirited primary challenge from John McCain. Taxes, crime, and the role of religion are among the hot campaign issues.

In many ways, these have been issues debated in all Philadelphia primaries and conventions since 1774.

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