The Significance and Racism of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Blake Begner

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/114152 Copy

Description

Title

The Significance and Racism of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Author(s)

Blake Begner

Issue Date

2022-04-28

Keyword(s)

• History
• Politics

Abstract

On June 17, 1858, cities and towns throughout Illinois were filled with newspaper headlines from Lincoln’s speech. “A house divided against itself cannot stand, and this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.” These were the words spoken by Abraham Lincoln to his representatives in Springfield when he was elected to run for the Illinois Senate in 1858, and he used this stance in opposition to Stephen Douglas in their upcoming debates in seven Illinois cities. Also known as the Great Debates, the two candidates mostly discussed the issue of slavery. Although the debates took place in Illinois, they received national attention because slavery was such a controversial topic in America during this time. Lincoln and Douglas focused on whether or not slavery should be allowed in new U.S. territories. Lincoln was a Republican who wanted to keep slavery from entering new territories, while Douglas was a Democrat who believed new territories should decide whether or not slavery should be allowed within its own boundaries. Because of both candidates’ positions on the issue, they used various U.S. documents and resolutions regarding the issue of slavery in their speeches. The Kansas-Nebraska Act, Missouri Compromise, Wilmot Proviso, and Dred Scott Supreme Court ruling were all used in the debates. The Lincoln-Douglas debates not only had an impact on the nation’s future in terms of the institution of slavery, but significantly influenced Lincoln’s Presidential campaign as well.

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/114152

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