The Debates Of Abraham Lincoln And Stephen A. Douglas

Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas were two prominent figures in American politics in the 1850’s. Douglas, a spokesperson for the Democratic party, was looking to be reelected for his third term in the United States Senate. Lincoln, a representative for the Republican party, was running for the Senate in the very seat that Douglas currently held. These two men engaged in a series of seven debates, that would garner national attention and speak to various issues regarding the political climate of the United States during this time such as slavery. In the book, The Lincoln- Douglas Debates of 1858, we learn the two different positions of these men on slavery, freedom, equality, and race. They also reveal insight into political events of the 1850’s such as the Dred Scott decision, the Freeport Doctrine, and the Civil …show more content…
Douglas did not take a stance on slavery. He could not be considered proslavery or antislavery. But he did clearly believe in the idea of popular sovereignty. In his speech Chicago on July 9th, Douglas addresses this issue. He says, “My object was to secure the right of each State and of each territory, North or South, to decide the question for themselves, to have slavery or not, just as they choose...” (Lincoln Douglas Debates, 27). Douglas believed that the people should make the decision of if they should have slavery or not. He made this very clear throughout these debates. Douglas makes it very clear that he is not taking a stance on slavery for himself but rather showing that the people should make this decision for themselves. He says, “It is no answer to this argument to say that slavery is an evil, and hence should not be tolerated. You must allow the people to decide for themselves whether it is a good or an evil” (Lincoln Douglas Debates, 28). These are only a few examples of the firm argument that Douglas continually takes on the issue of slavery in the