United Christian Party (United States)
Convention Location Date Notes and references
Organizational Conference Davenport , Iowa August 7 , 1897
Organizational Conference Washington , Iowa 1898
1st Iowa State Convention Des Moines , Iowa July 4-5 , 1899 Held at Goldstone Hotel . Nominated candidates for Governor of Iowa and other state offices . Subsequently regarded as foundation convention of the organization
1900 National Convention Rock Island , Illinois May 1-2 , 1900 Nominated candidates for President and Vice-President of the United States
1902 National Conference Rock Island , Illinois May 1 , 1902 Discussion held about possible convocation of a St. Louis international conference in 1903
1903 National Conference Rock Island , Illinois May 1 , 1903 Discussion held about possible convocation of an international religious and economic convention to be held in St. Louis in 1904
1904 National Convention St. Louis , Missouri May 1-2 , 1904 Nominated candidates for President and Vice-President of the United States
1908 National Convention Rock Island , Illinois 1908 Nominated candidates for President and Vice-President of the United States
1909 National Conference Rock Island , Illinois May 1 , 1909 Put 4 National Organizers into the field for party-building in preparation for 1912 campaign
1911 National Convention Rock Island , Illinois May 1 , 1911 Nominated candidates for President and Vice-President of the United States
1912 National Convention Rock Island , Illinois May 1 , 1912 Reaffirmed nominations made for President and Vice-President of the United States
1915 National Conference Davenport , Iowa May 1 , 1915
1916 National Conference Davenport , Iowa May 1 , 1916 Held at home of National Chairman W.R. Benkert
Conventions
The United Christian Party (UCP) was a political party first established in the American state of Iowa in August 1897. Although superficially professing an orientation towards theocracy and a conservative social program in its earliest years, the UCP advocated progressive political reform, promoting direct democracy through implementation of initiative and referendum. By 1904 the organization advocated government ownership of key natural resources and public utilities and an opposition to monopolistic forms of economic ownership in accord with the golden rule. The UCP was the brainchild of Rev. William Rudolph Benkert of Davenport, Iowa, who dominated the organization as its National Chairman throughout its entire existence. After running tickets for President and Vice President of the United States under its own name in the elections of 1900, 1904, and 1908, the UCP was briefly absorbed into a new organization called the American Party in 1909 before resuming its former name. In 1912 another very short-lived name change was made, this time to Christian Patriots. This change was again quickly reversed and the party's ticket appeared on the November 1912 ballot under its old moniker. The party continued in existence but went on hiatus, failing to run a Presidential ticket in the elections of 1916, 1920, or 1924. While intimations were made that a Presidential ticket would be fielded in 1928, it seems that this plan came to naught and the party expired.