The Lincoln-Douglas debates, also known as the Great Debates of 1858, were a series of seven debates between two politicians running for the senate seat of the state of Illinois. The politicians were the republican nominee, Abraham Lincoln, and the democratic nominee, incumbent Stephen Douglas. The debates covered a series of topics, the most pertinent being the issue of slavery and its expansion into the newer western territories. The idea of the debates came forth after both Lincoln and Douglass had given speeches opposing one another in two of Illinois’ congressional districts. Lincoln and Douglas agreed to the series of seven debates in the remaining congressional districts: Ottawa, Freeport, Jonesboro, Charleston, Galesburg, Quincy, and…