Lincoln and Douglas Debates

The freedom of America’s slaves has always been accredited to Abraham Lincoln, but he was not always the complete abolitionist as he is commonly portrayed. The “house divided”, as Lincoln depicts it in his famous ‘House Divided’ speech, of the United States during the Civil War, was not always lead towards the freedom of all mankind, and there is sufficient evidence to support this claim. The sixteenth president is most commonly remembered for inducing the courage and determination to end the Civil War, with the Emancipation Proclamation, although when it more closely studied he did not cross the great divide of enslavement vs. freedom with the submittal of that fabled document. When following the many famous quotes and speeches of Lincoln’s life, it appears that he was against all slavery and bondage. At the same time, when more closely examined, the quotes and speeches actually leaned towards his lack of strong opinion on the outcome of slavery. Lincoln is perceived as the most famous revolutionary of American history, but he does not live up to his legacy of being the eradicator of forced servitude.

Lincoln begins his argument against slavery by pointing out that the continuation of slavery makes this country seems hypocritical. He notes, “I hate it [slavery] because it deprives our republican example of its just influence in the world—enables the enemies of free institutions, with plausibility, to taunt us as hyporcites—criticizing the Declaration of Independence, and insisting that there is no right principle of action but self-interest.” In other words, Lincoln argues that America is weakening its image by denying a group of people their right to be free, while the country was founded on the principle of giving freedom to its citizens.

The Lincoln-Douglas debates were a series of debates between Abraham Lincoln and Judge Stephen A. Douglas. The debates started because the two were going head to head as candidates for the Illinois Senatorship. Lincoln, the Republican candidate, believe that slaves deserved basic human rights. Douglas, on the other hand, believed that each state had its own right to choose if it was a slave state or a free state and that negroes should never have the rights a white man does. The race for the senator position was very close and both candidates would do a great job in office, it was just a matter of which candidate had more supporters. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates weren't just for a position in an office, these debates would determine the future of our nation. In the end, the nation would either be divided or united.

During the time of 1858, tension was high and many people were frustrated about the idea of slavery in Illinois. Two people that seemed to be caught in the middle of several feuds were Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. Lincoln and Douglas were battling for a seat in the Illinois Senate. In seven debates they stated their opinion on the main topic at the time, which was slavery. Lincoln thought the idea of slavery was unjust and wanted to give slaves the same rights others had.

During the 1800s, the United States experienced vast physical, political, and social growth. From the Louisiana Purchase to the Gilded Age and everything in between, these years effectively set the national stage for the coming century which would face its own immense challenges. Opposition to this 19th century growth was widespread and is often discussed as it pertains to slavery, specifically its legality. This question became increasingly consequential as new territories sought admittance into the Union. Some wanted the nation to admit the states as free states while others wanted the new states to be slave states. As the significance of this conversation grew, it became a deciding factor for many elections, both local and national. Two

The issue was not slavery itself, but who, either the central government or the states, decided whether slavery was acceptable. Political divisions over governing the country between the North and the South was especially relevant with the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Stephen Douglas, a Democrat running against Lincoln, was the founder of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. This act divided Nebraska and Kansas, with a government that “pushed the Plains Indians farther west, making way for farmers and railroads,” (Roark, 365). The act created new territories that would allow the state to use popular sovereignty to determine if they would be slave or free states. During the Illinois state elections, Lincoln and Douglas debated their beliefs of a more

Lincoln/Douglass Debates- Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglass had 7 debates in the 1858 Illinois state election. Lincoln was running for Douglass’s senate seat as a Republican. These are also known as the great debates of 1858.

The juxtaposition Eric Foner creates between Stephen A. Douglas’s, popular sovereignty and Lincoln’s absolutist ideology, demonstrations that the issue of slavery will ultimately transform the political atmosphere for years to come. According to Foner, both Lincoln and Douglas disagree on the account of the intentions of the founding fathers right to “local self-government”.

Slavery had become a regular and a striving institution in the United States since 1620 as a free labor force. Slaves were the lumberman, builder, harvester, the planter, the caretaker or the shopkeeper; the use of slaves was well entrenched into the American lifestyle which made it difficult to diffused such practice. However, the African American slaves of the 1800’s and few politician demand change, Lincoln rose from a boy who was considered “lazy” for reading books rather than farming to be the voice of the Union. Lincoln illustrated throughout his political career that he was the defender of the Constitution and the Declaration and only through his interpretation, religious perspective and the use of his virtues; Lincoln was the individual that exacerbated the issue of slavery, but he was also the protector of the core principles of the United States of America.

As Abraham Lincoln was elected President, many controversies stirred among the people of his country. Lincoln was a true man who saw slavery as evil but did not call himself an abolitionist. He believed the way abolitionists chose to denounce slaveholders did not fit their democratic country favoring majority rule. Though he knew slavery was morally wrong, he also knew it was up to the people to decide where they wanted to have slavery, and abolitionists interfered with that. He did not wish to preserve slavery in his country nor did he oppose those who did. His plan for the Union was to prevent the further colonization of states to include slavery in hopes that it would slowly cease to exist. To the abolitionists, Lincoln’s lack of action

Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation declared “all persons held as slaves within any State, or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free”. While it continues to be a symbol of equality and social justice, his legacy has generated a century and a half debate that questions if he was the “progressive man” whose death was an “unspeakable calamity” as Frederick Douglass proclaimed or had he done “more to trick Negroes than any other man in history” as  Malcolm X claimed in 1964.

In American History the civil war can arguably be described as one of the most influential and pivotal moments for the United States of America because for the first time since the nations creation the country was divided. Many people consider this war to be Lincoln’s war to free the slaves. However, upon further review, Lincoln did not have such a positive attitude towards slaves. Lincoln was more concerned with keeping the country which he presided over together and tried to keep the issue of slavery up to the states. Nevertheless, slavery, having long been the backbone of American society, was undeniably going to play a huge role in the civil war. Lincoln understood that slavery was important and over time his views that slavery was an issues

The United States could not have become half-slave and half-free and not fought the civil war (Sultan Knish). Lincoln stated that a house could not stand if it is divided against itself and government cannot undergo half-slave and half-free (Sultan Knish). Although I have no expectation of the house falling and the union being dissolved, but I do expect it to end (Sultan Knish). Lincoln believed that some northern politicians were plotting to help an aggressive slavocracy and that his nemesis, Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas, stood at the forefront of the effort (Lincoln). Even some Republicans began to back down from their stance against the extension of slavery and move toward Douglas’s philosophy of popular sovereignty, a doctrine that could allow the continued growth of the American “cancer (Lincoln)”. A crisis was at hand. As a man of principle, Lincoln saw no middle ground on the slavery issue (Lincoln). The conflict represented, as he would soon say, “the eternal struggle between right and wrong throughout the world (Lincoln).” As a practical politician, he knew Douglas had to be stopped (Lincoln). Finally, in the winter of 1857–1858, Lincoln sat down and wrote what had been brewing in him for years (Lincoln). Lincoln was making careful notes for a firm public statement, as was his habit (Lincoln). These notes saved by an accident of history and never intended for publication, represent a turning point in Lincoln thought that would have been lost otherwise

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates were a series of arguements, debates, and beliefs that caused some trouble and fighting within the government. It is sometimes referred to as the most important statements in American history. The debates were between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. Both of these men were running to represent Illinois as United States Senate at the time these debates went down. There were seven debates that all took place throughout Illinois.

Before watching the debate, read through this section twice. The first time will give you the gist of what is presented, while the second time will allow you to see if you can actually do as it instructs.