Democrats had long held power in the state of Georgia and throughout the Confederacy (in fact, there was only one political party in the Confederacy, the Democrats). When Republican Rufus Bullock defeated former Confederate General John Gordon for governor many Democrats were unhappy. On the day following Bullock's inauguration between 15 and 20,000 people met in a "bush arbor" near present-day Underground Atlanta to here speeches from firebrand Robert Toombs and Benjamin Hill, who delivers what is today known as his "Bush Arbor" speech.