The heated Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858 represented the deep divisions cutting through America at the time. The debates made the questions of slavery and state's rights unavoidable and made a national figure out of Abraham Lincoln, a future president and martyr of the United States. Ultimately, these debates set the stage for the American Civil War and the eventual abolition of slavery.
Fig. 1- In 1899, President McKinley made an address and dedication on the anniversary of the debate in Galesburg, Illinois.
Timeline of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates
| Debate | Date (1858) & City (Illinois) | Topic & Summary | Attendance |
| 1st | August 21st in Ottawa | Lincoln referred to as "Radical" by accusing Douglas of trying to Nationalize slavery. | 10,000 |
| 2nd | August 27th in Freeport | Lincoln asked Douglas to defend his idea of Popular Sovereignty; Douglas' response would be known as the "Freeport Doctrine," and he lost his support from Southern Democrats. | 15,000 |
| 3rd | September 15th in Jonesboro | Douglas states that Lincoln stands for racial equality while many attendees are from slave-holding states. | 1,500 |
| 4th | September 18th in Charleston | Lincoln accuses Douglas of conspiring with high-standing leaders in government to Nationalize slavery. | 12,000 |
| 5th | October 7th in Galesburg | Douglas explains his reasoning for opposing the Lecompton Constitution (an extremely pro-slavery document). | 15,000 |
| 6th | October 13th in Quincy | Lincoln clarified that he believed slavery was morally wrong, but Republicans would only attack it where the Constitution allowed it. | 12,000 |
| 7th | October 15th in Alton | Douglas accepts the win in the debates and attacks Lincoln's "A House Divided" speech. | 5,000 |
Lincoln Douglas Debates Summary
In 1820, the United States Congress admitted the territory of Missouri into the Union as its 24th state. Missouri requested its statehood without any slavery restrictions. In response to this, when the territory of Maine requested its statehood, attorney Henry Clay created a compromise that allowed Missouri to be a slave state while Maine would be entered as a free state. Maine had originally been a part of Massachusetts, a free northern state, so the state was required to be entered into the Union as such. This was implemented to keep the balance between slave and free states within the country; any territory north of the 36°30 Louisiana Purchase line was not allowed to be a slave state. This compromise between the states of Missouri and Maine would be known as “The Missouri Compromise''.
Upon implementing the Missouri Compromise, Kansas and Nebraska were required to ban slavery within their territories, as it was not yet determined if slavery could continue to move West. In response, senator Stephen A. Douglas proposed the “Kansas-Nebraska Act” in 1854. This proposal stated that the territory of Kansas should have the right to decide whether to be a slave or a free state. This proposal ignited outrage amongst the Abolitionists and nearly began a civil war within Kansas.
In opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, "the Dred Scott Case" of 1846-1857 determined that the United States would continue to uphold slavery without the states themselves having the ability to claim slavery or freedom. The case also determined that regardless of a previously enslaved person now living in a free state, they were still not entitled to their freedom or citizenship. The Dred Scott decision completely overturned Douglas’s Kansas-Nebraska Act and pushed him further toward his idea of popular sovereignty.
Lincoln Douglas Debates: Topics
Slavery
As the sitting Senator of Illinois since 1847, Stephen A. Douglas was challenged for his position in 1858 by Republican representative Abraham Lincoln. It was decided between the two candidates that there would be a total of 7 debates held in the state's Congressional district; each would be 3 hours long.
Fig. 2 - Abraham Lincoln.
A house divided against itself cannot stand" - Abraham Lincoln, 1858
In 1861, Lincoln's statement would have been proven correct with the outbreak of the Civil War. The undeniable differences caused the South to attempt to secede, causing the Union to crumble nearly and beginning the long and bloody struggle to keep the country intact.
States Rights
Throughout their debates, Abraham Lincoln emphasized his views on the injustice of slavery, attacking Stephen A. Douglas for his proposed “Kansas-Nebraska Act” and his “Freeport Doctrine,” which he introduced at their debate in Freeport, Illinois. Both the Act and the Doctrine highlighted Douglas’s idea of “popular sovereignty”, or allowing states to decide whether slavery would be a part of their territory upon joining the Union. Knowing that the Dred Scott Decision challenged this new Doctrine, Lincoln asked Douglas how he would defend this idea given the standing decision of the United States Supreme Court. Douglas replied that the decisions made by the residents of the states are more important than the Supreme Court's word.
Fig. 3 - Stephen A. Douglas
Popular Sovereignty
The idea was that each state had the right to choose whether to accept or deny slavery within their territory upon entry into the Union. The decision of the government depends on the consent of the people.
Lincoln Douglas Debates: Effects
Despite gaining enormous popularity and becoming widely known for his public speaking, Abraham Lincoln lost the senatorial election of Illinois to Stephen A. Douglas (54-46) in October of 1858. In 1860 however, Lincoln was elected president of the United States due to his new reputation. As Lincoln had predicted, the country could not withstand such heavy tensions between its Northern and Southern states. The country had finally reached its breaking point, resulting in the Civil War's beginning in April of 1861.
Lincoln Douglas Debates: Significance
Though Stephen A. Douglas won the debates and kept his Senatorial seat, he lost much of his support from Southern Democrats who undyingly supported slavery and its expansion into the West. Douglas took a more neutral stance on slavery, leaving it up to the state members to decide; in turn, leaving many slave owners at a disadvantage knowing they would soon be outnumbered by the rising Abolitionist ideology from the North.
The territory's growing diversity caused Abolitionism's rise in the North. When the Potato Famine hit Ireland in 1845, many fled to the United States for a better life. Most of them went into the North, as there was more job opportunity due to industrialization. Whereas the South was far more agricultural and reliant on slavery. European immigrants had long since abandoned slavery in their home countries and helped feed the idea of abolishing it altogether. Most agreed that the North had factory workers who could be paid cheaply.
Effects of the Debates
Upon losing his support from Southern Democrats, when the Democratic Party held their convention in 1860 to determine a Presidential candidate, Southern Democratic delegates walked out upon realizing that Douglas was their front-runner. Southern Democrats wanted a candidate that would firmly place their beliefs and party stance on slavery, with no compromises. The Party would eventually split into 3 separate groups with 3 separate candidates, giving Abraham Lincoln, the only Republican candidate, a significant advantage. Now the Democratic supporters' votes would be split into 3, making it much more difficult to overtake the opponent.
When Lincoln won the election with 180 electoral votes, the country rapidly fell apart, with states claiming their secession as early as one month after his official election. The Civil War would begin soon after, and Lincoln would lead the country for two terms through its long and bitter battles.
Lincoln Douglas Debate - Key takeaways
- The Lincoln Douglas debates for the Senatorial seat of Illinois took place from August to October of 1858.
- The country was deeply divided between its anti-slavery North and its pro-slavery South; the question of slavery spreading into the new Western territory was the main topic of their debates.
- Even though Stephen A. Douglas' reputation declined heavily during the debates, he still defeated Abraham Lincoln 54-46.
- Abraham Lincoln gained a more impressive reputation throughout the debates, later helping him win the Presidential Election of 1860.
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