Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

On 24 July 1858, Abraham L incoln challenged Stephen D ouglas to debate during their race for senator from Ill. They clashed at Ottawa (21 August), Freeport (27 August), Jonesboro (15 September), Charleston (18 September), Galesburg (7 October), Quincy (13 October), and Alton (15 October). The debates took place after D red S cott v. S andford and emphasized the issue of allowing slaves in unsettled territories. At Quincy, Lincoln strongly opposed slavery as “a moral, a social, and a political wrong,” although he rejected interfering with it where it existed by law. Douglas countered with his F reeport D octrine on excluding slavery from the territories. Lincoln lost the senate race in the legislature (54–41), but the debates catapulted him to national prominence and made him a major presidential contender in 1860. ... log in or subscribe to read full text