III. Lincoln/Douglas Debates

A. Who Are They? 1.Abraham Lincoln – 4 terms in Illinois Legislature – 1 term in US Congress – Left Whig party to become a Republican in 1856 – Supported stopping the spread of slavery

2.Stephen Douglas – Democratic Senator from Illinois – Been in Senate since 1847 – Worked on the Kansas-Nebraska Act

B. Why Debate? 1.Election of 1858 – Lincoln challenges Douglas for the Illinois Senate seat – Lincoln ran as a Republican – Douglas ran as a Democrat

2.Lincoln’s Nomination Speech – Gave an important speech when he accepted the Republican nomination for the Senate – “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” – “I believe this government can not endure, permanently half slave and half free.” – Speech was seen as most radical stance against slavery taken by a Republican

C. The Debates 1.The Format – 7 debates across Illinois – Each lasts about 3 hours – Each would give a “speech” and then the other would respond – Thousands came to the debates to see the two men speak

2.Lincoln’s Views – Slavery was wrong – Said Democrats wanted to spread slavery across the US – Wanted to stop the spread of slavery into new states and territories – African Americans were “entitled to all natural rights.”

3. Douglas’ Views – Warned that Republicans wanted to make all states free – Warned that Lincoln wanted Whites and Blacks to be socially and politically equal

4.The Outcome – Douglas wins the election and keeps his Senate seat – Lincoln lost but becomes a leader in the Republican Party

IV Election

A. Four Parties Running 1.Republican Party – Candidate: Abraham Lincoln – States they won: Northern States – 39.8% of the Vote – 180 Electoral Votes

2.Northern Democrats – Candidate: Stephen Douglas – States they won: Missouri – 29.5% of the vote – 12 Electoral Votes

3.Southern Democrats – Candidate: John C. Breckenridge – States they won: Southern States – 18.1% of the Vote – 72 Electoral Votes

4.Constitutional Union Party – Candidate: John Bell – States they won: Border States – 12.6% of the vote – 39 Electoral Votes

B. Secession 1.President Lincoln – Southerners worried Lincoln will abolish slavery – Believe this would ruin the south – Lincoln said he would not abolish it though

2.South Carolina – 3 days after election state legislature gathers – Dec 1860, SC votes to dissolve its union with the United States – First state to leave the union

3.Confederate States of America – By Feb 1861: Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, and South Carolina have all seceded – Feb 4, seceded states send delegates to Alabama to form the CSA

– Draft a constitution much like the US’s but it guaranteed the right to own slaves – Jefferson Davis is elected president of the Confederacy