This American founded the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally — here's his story
The South Dakota event has grown far beyond its original numbers.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin is America's hog heaven.
The city celebrates its status as the birthplace of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, a high-powered global symbol of American freedom, as the GOP Convention shortly rolls into town.
Delegates to the Republican National Convention say they're fueled by positive vibes and energy — and some plan to make the Harley-Davidson Museum a key stop during the celebrations and events.
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Milwaukee "isn’t necessarily a place where many of our delegates have been before," Jessica Patterson, chair of the California GOP, said in a release, adding that she wants delegates to get a feel for Milwaukee's history and culture.
Among other stops, the California delegation’s tour of Milwaukee history will include a luncheon at the Harley-Davidson Museum, according to the release. Fox News Digital reached out to the company and to the museum for additional comment.
A red, white and blue Harley-Davidson motorcycle in Chicago, Illinois. (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The showcase of American motorcycle heritage opened 16 years ago, on July 12, 2008. It's proven a destination for motorcycle enthusiasts and non-riders interested in American heritage.
The three-building complex on 20 acres contains over 450 Harley-Davidson motorcycles and hundreds of thousands of artifacts from Harley-Davidson's history, according to the company.
"The Harley-Davidson Museum tells more than the story of a motorcycle brand," reports travel website wandertooth.com.
"It tells the story of Milwaukee and – it’s really hard to write this in a way that doesn’t sound completely cheesy — of the American Dream."
The museum celebrates the company’s influence on popular cultural and American heritage and also chronicles the dramatic story of the brand, which often teetered on the brink of disaster.
Actors Dennis Hopper, left, Peter Fonda, front right, and Luke Askew, back right, in a promotional image from 1969 movie "Easy Rider." The iconic American road film proved a publicity coup for Harley-Davidson. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
Harley-Davidson was founded in Milwaukee in 1903 by William Harley and partners and brothers Arthur, Walter and William Davidson.
Harley and the Davidson boys grew up neighbors and friends. Harley and Arthur Davidson were both bicycle enthusiasts and mechanics.
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They began tinkering with small internal combustion engines. They put motors on bicycles - their first Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Harley-Davidson, the museum notes, sold just three motorcycles in 1905.
Harley-Davidson produced 163,000 bikes in 2023, making it one of the world's largest motorcycle companies. It brought in more than $5.8 billion in revenue, according to reports from the now publicly traded company.
General views of the Harley-Davidson Museum on Aug. 29, 2021, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Harley-Davidson was founded in Milwaukee in 1903. (AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
More dramatically than just the raw numbers, Harley-Davidson motorcycles have grown into a muscular symbol of the United States and the freedom of its open roads.
Harley-Davidson's image of rugged American individualism makes it a favorite among freedom-loving GOP politicians and supporters.
Harley-Davidson motorcycles have grown into a muscular symbol of the United States and the freedom of its open roads.
Sen. Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican, co-founded the Senate Motorcycle Caucus in 2017, hosts an annual "Roast and Ride" charity fundraiser and political rally each year, and has said that driving her Harley-Davidson on an open highway is "a great stress reliever."
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Republican former Vice President Mike Pence is often seen riding a Harley-Davidson wearing cowboy boots, blue jeans and a leather vest. He named his new puppy Harley while serving as VP in 2017.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, kicks off her annual Roast and Ride motorcycle event in June 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. The annual event helps to raise money for veteran charities and highlights Republican candidates and platforms.
South Dakota's Republican Gov. Kristi Noem is a familiar face at the state's legendary Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
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The GOP shares something else in common with Harley-Davidson.
It, too, was born in Wisconsin.
The Harley-Davidson Museum, left, opened in Milwaukee in 2008. At right, a scene from the celebrated 1969 movie, "Easy Rider," which helped cement Harley-Davidson's iconic affiliation with the American open road. (AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images and Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
The Republican Party was founded in Ripon, Wisconsin, in 1854, forged from a coalition of political forces to oppose the advance of slavery in the American West.
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The Republican Party held its first national convention in Pittsburgh in 1856. Then, at its next national convention, it nominated Abraham Lincoln for president in 1860.
All told, the RNC is expected to bring more than 50,000 visitors to Milwaukee, according to the city itself. The convention runs from Monday, July 15, 2024, to Thursday, July 18, 2024.
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