ipl-logo

How Did Lincoln-Douglas Debates And How Did They Shape The Nation's Future?

1009 Words5 Pages

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. The debates happened in seven different cities in Illinois and many people from all over the U.S. came to hear them talk. Abraham Lincoln’s view on slavery was better than Stepah Douglas’s because he believed that slavery was morally wrong and that everyone should be treated equally. Abraham Lincoln was an abolitionist and he was against slavery because he thought it was wrong. In the first debate in Ottawa, Lincoln made it clear that he was against the spread of slavery. He said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” This means that half the country can’t be free and the other half have slaves. On the other hand, Douglas was more about the states’ rights because he believed that each state should decide for …show more content…

He warned of the consequences that could come in the future if we fail to stop slavery. He declared “We shall not fall -- if we stand firm, we shall not fail.” He used pathos in his speech to give the crowd a sense of urgency and concern, giving people fear about the future of the country. This speech was effective in getting people to take action to prevent the spread of slavery. This is when Douglas’s continuous stance on popular sovereignty started to fade because Lincoln gave a public opinion to fight against

Show More
Related

Election Of 1860 Dbq Essay

212 Words | 1 Pages

The election of 1860 was an election to decide between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas as the 16th president. Lincoln was not a fan favorite, but he won the election, due to Electoral College system. Lincoln made his position on slavery very clear. He wanted to end slavery. The people in the south opposed to the idea of abolishing slavery.

Read More

Lincoln's First Inaugural Address Analysis

377 Words | 2 Pages

During Abraham Lincoln’s presidency at the start of the 1860, an issue that had divided the nation was slavery. Lincoln’s election to presidency as a republic was not received well by the Southern slave states, as they thought that as a republican he was out to abolish slavery. In an effort to calm southern states and keep them from seceding from the United States, he attempts to ease them with his First Inaugural Address. In his First Inaugural Address his key points are to clam southern leaders of slave states, keep the states from seceding, and make them at ease as he enters presidency.

Read More

How Did Stephen Douglass Encourage The Support Of Popular Sovereignty

667 Words | 3 Pages

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.

Read More

Dred Scott Decision Of 1857: The Lincoln-Douglas Debates Of 1860

1715 Words | 7 Pages

Where a not so well known Republican, Abraham Lincoln, challenged the reputable Democrat, Stephen A. Douglas, to a series of seven open-air debates to be done throughout Illinois on the issue of slavery in territories. Douglas supported popular sovereignty, which is the allowing of inhabitants of a territory to vote for or against slavery in that territory. He also held that slavery was not immoral, but thought an unsuitable labor system for some places. Lincoln, on the other hand, held that slavery was immoral, and a labor system based on greed. The main difference between Lincoln and Douglas was that Douglas believed popular sovereignty would inevitably lead to slavery ceasing on its own, while Lincoln saw the only way to end slavery was through legislation.

Read More

Comparing The Beliefs Of Abraham Lincoln And Stephen Douglass

456 Words | 2 Pages

First, Abraham Lincoln debated on many issues, and a major issue that he and Stephen Douglass debated on was the issue of slavery. Lincoln believed that slavery was morally wrong. While on the other hand, Douglass believed that slavery should be ruled by popular sovereignty. Lincoln’s belief led many Northerners to vote for him. But only a few Northerners and Southerners voted for Douglass because popular sovereignty was a complicated process.

Read More

How Did Abraham Lincoln's Struggle For Change

452 Words | 2 Pages

Lincoln was confident about his beliefs of the end of slavery especially when he had wrote out a letter to an author but he never sent it. The letter Lincoln never sent stated that Americans traveling thousands of miles only to capture and bring home the African Americans just to make them slaves is brought upon us by the black race (Danoff 49). Lincoln was furious with the author’s statement and retaliated back with sarcasm. After many states had reestablished their state governments or prepared to they were creating state constitutions that abolished slavery (Brands 3). Life was unfair for African Americans, especially those who were free.

Read More

Comparing The Lincoln And Douglas Debates Of 1860

690 Words | 3 Pages

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.

Read More

Compare And Contrast Lincoln And Douglass

238 Words | 1 Pages

 Douglas expanded Lincoln’s message about ending slavery in a heavy abolitionist movement, actually Lincoln wanted to avoid the expansion

Read More

Compromises Between 1820 And 1860

1121 Words | 5 Pages

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).

Read More

Abraham Lincoln-Douglas Debates During The Civil War

1390 Words | 6 Pages

Republican speeches involved the denunciation of slavery and attempt to enfranchise African American in the November ballot by proposing an amendment, “Hundreds of thousands of runaway slaves would relocate into free states…” Lincoln emphasize public encounters addressing the unethical issues of slavery known as Lincoln-Douglas Debates. The series of seven public debates entailed political conflicts over slavery and its formation after the Mexican War. Although in Douglas’s perception, the upheaval of slavery condemned on northern abolitionists and created southern divergence from the nation.

Read More

Civil War Dbq

584 Words | 3 Pages

While Lincoln gave his famous “House Divided” speech, he enforced that slavery cannot continue any longer. He did not say he did not want slavery anymore; rather, he stated how he did not want to increase slavery in the US, but Lincoln’s speech mislead the south into believing, otherwise.

Read More

Civil War Dbq Essay

711 Words | 3 Pages

Originally from the South, Lincoln grew up around slavery and racism. However, his main concern was his country. In a speech, Lincoln expressed that, although he believed slavery was morally wrong, “he did not expect the Union to be dissolved; he did not expect the house to fall; but he did expect it would cease to be divided. As a result, it will become all one thing or all the other” (Document 6). Lincoln wanted what was right for the country, to become a more unified nation.

Read More

Abraham Lincoln-Douglas Debates

1218 Words | 5 Pages

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).

Read More

Abraham Lincoln Dbq

562 Words | 3 Pages

Abraham Lincoln’s commitment to preserving the Union significantly shaped his policies on slavery, forcing him to balance his personal anti-slavery beliefs with political necessities. First, he prioritized union preservation, supporting measures like the Corwin Amendment to prevent secession. However, as the Civil War progressed, his policies evolved to include the Emancipation Proclamation and active support for the 13th Amendment, eventually aligning his official actions with his personal beliefs against slavery. Lincoln was committed to preserving the Union, and it was evident. Early on, in 1858, Lincoln gave a speech and predicted that the Union could not survive half slave and half free.

Read More

Lincoln First Inaugural Address Analysis

657 Words | 3 Pages

It would be more than difficult not to read Abraham Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address without some sense of pride or honor for one’s own country. He brings about a call to civility among all citizens striving for unity and harmony with one another. Lincoln understood the dilemma that slavery became for not only the Northerners attempting to abolish the practice entirely, but also for the Southerners perpetuating it in the first place. The fact that there was a faction rising in favor of slavery on a scale that would divide the country indefinitely and that Lincoln foresaw this danger demonstrates the level of prudence he was able to acquire up until his presidency. In this address, Lincoln stressed the importance of the nation staying unified and true to the principles set by

Read More

More about How Did Lincoln-Douglas Debates And How Did They Shape The Nation's Future?

Open Document