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Comparing The Lincoln And Douglas Debates Of 1860

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The Lincoln and Douglas Debates in 1858 were a series of important joint discussions that would determine the future of slavery in America. The Lincoln/Douglas Debates were also known as the Great Debates of 1858. Before the debates, Douglas had unusually defied President James Buchanan and the southern democratic leaders about admitting Kansas as a slave state under the Lecompton constitution. Those from the North that were against slavery, later known as Republicans, found interest in having Douglas reelected as a U.S. Senate. Lincoln and his allies had known Douglas for a long time and did not trust him. In attempt to prevent Douglas's reelection, Lincoln was voted to be the Republican's candidate in the election for one of Illinois's two U.S. Senate seats. …show more content…

1858. Using the Bible as his source of reference, Lincoln stated "A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free." Lincoln believed that either slavery would extend throughout the entire country or it would become extinct, but it would not co-exist without having the country eventually collapsing. To add to his statement, Lincoln argued that slavery was a moral wrong and was opposing what the Founding Fathers' intended for the country. Slavery violated the Declaration of Independence, which stated that all men were created equal. Lincoln also went on to accuse Douglas for upholding a wrong by defending slavery. Douglas countered and disagreed with Lincoln's statement of the Founding Fathers' intentions, pointing out that many of the Founding Fathers were slaveowners themselves. Douglas insisted that power should reside at a local level and should reflect the people's wishes. He believed that the territories should be the ones to decide if they want to be a slave state or a free

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Stephen Douglas, an advocate of popular sovereignty, and Abraham Lincoln, a Republican candidate, were both running to represent Illinois in the United States Senate. These two men met in a sequence of seven debates before they battled for office of presidency in the election of 1858. Slavery eventually became the main issue discussed repeatedly in each of the debates, due to the Mexican War adding new territories left to be assessed as free soil or not. During this time, the Compromise of 1850 was a temporary fix to the sectional issues for the states that made the decision to participate in the extension of slavery. However, the Missouri Compromise of 1854 brought the issue back up again.

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The Infamous Lincoln-Douglas Disputations The Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 hold great significance in America's political history. These seven debates for Senate drew tens of thousands of attendees to several cities around Illinois. Its main arguments brought forth slavery's complex division in America as well as the separation of the union because of it. Although Lincoln did not win the election, these debates proved to be the platform for Lincoln's principles and helped his rise towards presidency.

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The Lincoln and Douglas debates were a series of seven political debates that took place in 1858 Illinois between Abraham Lincoln, (the challenger) and Stephen A. Douglas (incumbent), in a campaign for one of the two Illinois Senate seats. These debates were performed in seven of the nine Illinois Congressional Districts. There many causes but the main one was slavery territory. A large part of the debate were to address the concerning issue of slavery extension into the territories.

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You can see this in Document B, wherein 1858 Lincoln says this: “I have no purpose . . . to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists . . .” Later on in the same document he also states, “There is no reason in the world why the negro is not entitled to all the natural rights . . . in the Declaration of Independence- the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” While Lincoln was running for president, he promised to leave slavery alone in the South, but he also stays true to his personal morals through his time, that slavery

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Lincoln believed that black people were included in this thought, while Douglas argued that this was “monstrous heresy… The signers of the Declaration of Independence had no reference to the negro… [Did Thomas Jefferson] intend to say in the Declaration that his negro slaves, which he held and treated as property, were created his equals by Divine law, and that he was violating the law of God every day of his life by holding them as slaves?” (McPherson 184). While Douglas does make a good and convincing argument here, we must look at the constitution to understand where this argument falls flat.

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What were the key issues at stake during the historic Lincoln-Douglas debates, and how did they shape the nation's future? The Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 are pivotal movements in American political history. Some people believe that it was mainly about the state's rights, while others say it was more about slavery. This was a big deal in American history because it changed the future of the U.S. by settling the state's rights and abolishing slavery. This debate was about two big-time politicians who were running for the Senate seat in Illinois in 1858.

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Stephen A. Douglas was born in Brandon Vermont in 1813. Douglas grew up and studied law in New York before moving to Illinois in 1833. In Illinois, Douglas helped to organize a Democratic party. He played a large part in the setup and and organization of said party, introducing many useful features such as committees and regularity of meetings. Stephen Douglas held many positions during his time, including several state offices, a seat on the House of Representatives, and the position of United States Senator.

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The debates between slavery and antislavery politicians were very harsh and bitter. The winner of this debate would soon become the new senate. The majority of these politicians were pro slavery, which caused the balance of the pro slavery and antislavery politicians to be uneven. The debate took place in Illinois from August 21, 1858 to October 15, 1858. Through many disputes about slavery and antislavery, tension was

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While the debates did not address the rights of Black Americans, it did allow the public to see both Lincoln and Douglas in a brighter light. Douglas publically stated that Lincoln had favored race equality, calling him a Radical Republican and therefore hurting his chances at ever getting a position in politics. Lincoln then challenged Douglas to a series of debates between late August and mid October in Illinois. Douglas accused Lincoln and Trumbull of conspiring to bring down Whig party in order to get their dream of abolishing slavery and getting into office. One person commented that these debates showed how much American politics have changed over the last two years, and will continue to change in the years coming.

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Sectional Tensions Gadsden Purchase: The Gadsden Purchase was a treaty made in 1853 by James Gadsden of South Carolina. Gadsden was appointed by Secretary of War Jefferson Davis to secure a chunk of Mexico for a railway route. He was able to negotiate land along the southern tips of current day Arizona and New Mexico, the northern border of Mexico, for $10 million from Spaniard Santa Anna. The land Gadsden had managed to obtain would have made making a southern railroad much more simple than cutting through more northern mountains.

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In this election, Lincoln and Douglas had some series of debates over slavery. Although Lincoln never exactly stated that he wanted to abolish slavery, much of the South believed he was an Abolitionist. At his speech in 1858 in Springfield Illinois, Lincoln wanted the nation to be one thing or another, meaning all free or all slave, because it couldn’t keep going on how it was, else it would fall apart. In his speech, Lincoln said, “...but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other” (Doc G).

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Abraham Lincoln, Frederic Douglass, were one of the most appealing well-known speakers, people who did believe that slavery was morally wrong and devote their lives to fight for freedom. However, there are several differences between the view of the Constitution’s position differences between Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Kansas-Nebraska Act indicated that the recognition of slavery should be determined by the decision of these residents (popular or squatter sovereignty). This act itself conflicted heavily with the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional, which was essentially seen as the admittance of slavery anywhere in the country. This act made a political issue of confrontation between North and South.

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The Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858, also known as The Great Debates of 1858, were seven different political debates. These debates were between the Republican candidate, Abraham Lincoln and the Democratic Party candidate, Stephen A. Douglas. During this period of time, United States senators were elected by the state legislatures. Due to the fact the state legislatures elect the United States senator, both Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas are fighting for themselves to prove to the Illinois legislatures that they deserve the spot. Each and every one of the different seven debates dealt with both of these men in a campaign for one of Illinois' two United States Senate seats.

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President Lincoln stated that: “if I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it,..., and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would do it.”. This quote clearly shows that the freedom of slaves was not his concern and unnecessary if it did not help the Union; as the result, slavery still exists if there is no war. Free slave from bondage should be a Great Emancipator’s primary goal and he will do his best to achieve it no matter what, but president Lincoln’s thought differed from that because all he cares was the Union. Although he had many times admitting himself an anti-slavery but his words and thoughts obviously prove that he is

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of confederate people. He took actions during the Civil War when he felt it was the right time no matter what was the limits. He used unprecedented power as commander in chief and he expanded the war powers by imposing a blockade on Confederate shipping ports, and suspending Writ of Habeas Corpus in order to arrest thousands of Confederate supporters. He called together 75,000 volunteers in ninety days to fight the war for him. For foreign policy, he tried to stop other countries to help Confederate (Tried by War).

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