...The Lincoln Douglass debates were a series of debates that took place between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglass while they were running for a seat on the Illinois state Senate. The debates took place during the election of 1858 and showed how diverse opinions can be. These debates were held all over the eastern coast, and the common theme was slavery and states rights. The two men had very different debate styles, Douglass was more aggressive and attacked his opponent while Lincoln used calm logic and sound thinking. In total, they held 7 debates. Douglass, an advocate of popular sovereignty , believed that it should be up to the individual state to make a decision over slavery while Lincoln thought that slavery itself should be outlawed across the United States. As the debates went on, more and more people got interested in them, and pretty soon, each debate drew in a large crowd. Abraham Lincoln was on the side of the people in these debates. During one debate, Lincoln gave his famous " House Divided" speech. In it, he said a house...
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...Answer choice A is false. Throughout the duration of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, Stephen Douglas stuck to his guns with the idea of popular sovereignty. In the PBS videos, he argued that the act of enslaving black Americans should be "put to a vote in the new states and territories." Popular sovereignty is the belief that the authority of a state and its government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, through their elected representatives, who are the source of all political power. By supporting the voting power of the people in the matter of slavery, Stephen indirectly advocated for popular sovereignty. Additionally, our textbook states: "Douglas championed popular sovereignty, whereby voters in each new territory would decide whether to allow slavery." This proves that Stephen Douglas was a strong supporter of popular sovereignty....
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...The Civil War in the 1860s was a big event in United States history. This was caused by many things that transpired during the years before. Three things that helped lead up to the Civil War were The Dred Scott Case, the Lincoln-Douglas Debate, and The Election of 1860. But how did these help lead up to the Civil War? These three main events all caused the tension between the North and South, leading up to the Civil War. In 1857, the Dred Scott Case played a partially important role in leading up to the Civil War. This case reached the Supreme Court, which stated that African Americans, free or enslaved, wouldn’t be eligible to be an American citizen. This caused the states to be upraged about this decision. This helped the tension add up because...
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...across the state of Illinois for a seat in the United States Senate. That belonged to Stephen Douglas from the Democratic Party. He was seeking reelection. His opponent was a lawyer from the newly established Republican Party. His name was Abraham Lincoln. Out of this great campaign birth the Lincoln-Douglas debates which was a series of formal political debates in 1858 between the two candidates, but also received national importance. The Lincoln-Douglas debates were a defining moment in American political history, affording Abraham Lincoln a major opportunity to create an image for himself on the wider public stage. Stephen Douglas was an established political figure and had distinguished himself in numerous congressional battles, while Lincoln was not known in this arena. Discussion In 1832, Lincoln decided to run for the Illinois State Legislature. Lincoln was to campaign for local improvements such as better roads and canals. However, a war with the Black Hawk Indians broke out before Lincoln’s campaign could get going, in response he joined the Army. After his short wartime, Lincoln returned to politics and lost the race of Illinois Legislature. In 1834 Lincoln made a second attempt to maintain a seat in the state legislature, which he was successful in winning the seat. Lincoln was elected in 1834, 1836, 1838, and in 1840. Lincoln was successful in achieving his goal of relocating the state capital from Vandalia to Springfield...
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...candidates campaigned across the state of Illinois for a seat in the United States Senate. That belonged to Stephen Douglas from the Democratic Party. He was seeking reelection. His opponent was a lawyer from the newly established Republican Party. His name was Abraham Lincoln. Out of this great campaign birth the Lincoln-Douglas debates which was a series of formal political debates in 1858 between the two candidates, but also received national importance. The Lincoln-Douglas debates were a defining moment in American political history, affording Abraham Lincoln a major opportunity to create an image for himself on the wider public stage. Stephen Douglas was an established political figure and had distinguished himself in numerous congressional battles, while Lincoln was not known in this arena. Discussion In 1832, Lincoln decided to run for the Illinois State Legislature. Lincoln was to campaign for local improvements such as better roads and canals. However, a war with the Black Hawk Indians broke out before Lincoln’s campaign could get started, in response he joined the Army. After his short wartime, Lincoln returned to politics and lost the race of Illinois Legislature. In 1834 Lincoln made a second attempt to maintain a seat in the state legislature, which he was successful in winning the seat. Lincoln was elected in 1834, 1836, 1838, and in 1840. Lincoln was successful in achieving his goal of relocating the state capital from Vandalia to Springfield. After serving four...
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...Charles H. Rhodes HISTORY 1301 Pollard “THE LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATES” The Lincoln-Douglas debates played a significant role in the coming of the Civil war. The driving force to this national tragedy, the abolishment of slavery, was debated here. The candidate, Stephen A. Douglas, chose to take his stance on “pro-slavery”. As a natural reaction to his decision, Abraham Lincoln became viewed as an abolitionist. The future president of the Union would be decided in this debate. The winner’s stance on slavery would then tear our nation apart. Stephen A. Douglas’ strategy in these debates was simple. He wanted the people to believe that Abraham Lincoln was an abolitionist. He wanted the voters to think that Lincoln wanted racial equality for blacks and whites. As I read the truth in the text I found it interesting, the presumed cause of the war came down to a political platform. I also was astonished to read that these two men’s real opinion on the topic of slavery and equal rights for both races was in fact not really that different. Abraham Lincoln was forced to counter attack Douglas in these debates. His choice was to make Douglas look like he was pro-slavery. He made the voters think that Douglas believed “slavery is an unqualified evil to the negro, to the white man, and to the soil, and to the state.” Lincoln also wanted the voters to think of Douglas as an immoral man by saying Douglas “is blowing out the moral lights around us, when he contends that...
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...Activity 1: 1. Lincoln attempted to carve out a moderate position on slavery, by basically saying that he did not highly like the idea of slavery however he would not stop people or states from having or acquiring slaves. He says this because he knows that if he would completely go against slavery then the South would most likely wants to split from the Union. So Lincoln attempted to keep a moderate position. 2. Lincoln contended that Douglas' ultimate goal was with regard to the expansion of slavery within the country. While Lincoln argue that equality was for all people, Douglas argued strongly against him. However no matter how much they argued both knew that abolishing slavery would be hard because it was such in demand especially in the South. Lincoln contended that Douglas' ultimate goal was with regards to extend slavery. 3. During the debate each man accused the other one about certain things. In this debate Lincoln accused Douglas of not following with Dred Scott decision. Douglas then accuse Lincoln of being wrong about his accusation. Both lies go hand in hand, during those debates each man accused the other of lying. 4. Lincoln asked whether the people of a territory could exclude slavery prior to applying for statehood. Douglas responded with the answer of yes, that prior to applying for statehood people with a territory could exclude slavery. 5. Douglas use the audience's racial fears to discredit Lincoln during the debate. The fear that the audience...
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...Lincoln- Douglas debate is a well respected traditional form of debating utilized by high school debate teams through out the nation. It is aptly named for its distinct style based on its origin, which dates by to the presidential debate between Lincoln and Douglas. It is primarily known as a “value based debate” which is a debate centered on morals and logic. More specifically, it is premised on a philosophical foundation focusing on which side offers the most beneficial ethical solution to the resolution. The Lincoln-Douglas style of debate is comprised of two sides, known as the affirmative and the negative. The affirmative side will argue that there is a moral or logical obligation to uphold the resolution while the negative will argue that the resolution is incorrect and offer counter points. According to the National Forensic League a value of a debate is described, as “A value is an idea that a debater argues is paramount. The contentions in a Lincoln-Douglas case uphold the value. Generally, the debater will present philosophical background to support and explain their value.” The resolution in a Lincoln- Douglass debate creates a basis for two sides to have an opinion on an issue with emphasis on its philosophical purpose. An important part of the value is the counter value presented by the negative side, which argues that there is a greater and counteractive moral obligation to the previously presented value. The Lincoln-Douglas debate style not only lends itself...
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...Lincoln’s Main Arguments: Lincoln said that the national policy was to limit the spread of slavery, and mentioned the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which banned slavery from a large part of the modern-day Midwest, as an example of this policy. Lincoln said Douglas ignored the basic humanity of blacks, and that slaves did have an equal right to liberty. Lincoln said that Douglas' public indifference to slavery would result in the expansion of slavery because it would mold public sentiment to accept slavery. Lincoln believed in colonization for African Americans, but also admitted it was impractical. Without colonization he said that it would be wrong for emancipated slaves to be treated as second-rate citizens. Lincoln said that slavery expansion...
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...Abraham Lincoln, would have been assassinated. Abraham Lincoln’s has brought up a controversial question, was it justified or not? On April 15, 1865 Lincoln was assassinated, by John Wilkes Booth in Petersen House, Washington, D.C. by a shot to the brain during a play.The assassination of Abraham Lincoln was justified because he did not believe blacks and whites should have equal rights and the emancipation proclamation did not actually free all slaves; however some people believe he was an abolitionist. It was believed that Lincoln thought blacks and whites should have equal rights, this is actually not true. In the fourth debate between Lincoln and Douglas, Lincoln states, “I will say then...
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...candidates is to look at Lincoln the victor, in comparison to the other three candidates up for election. Breckinridge, Douglas, and Bell identified more with southern ideals than Lincoln. However Douglas hailed and represented the state of Illinois, the same as Abraham Lincoln. Another argument when comparing them all to the future sixteenth president was their individual resumes were filled with war experience, political hierarchy positions and just more time spent in the political sphere than Lincoln. Breckinridge was the current Vice President at the time and was a Mexican American War veteran. Bell served as a representative for Kentucky in the House, and would later be elected the Speaker...
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...History 7 Lincoln/Douglas Debates A debate between two great candidates campaign for presidency-giving speeches’ on behave of the Black Slavery, each giving a statement on what they stand for. In the debate both campaign have a turn to speak and answer questions on what laws they would change or leave the same. Let’s start from the beginning of slavery before the debate. In the late seventeenth century people had servants that started out as contracts for white male and females to sell their labor for five to seven years. During the beginning of the eighteenth century there was less indentured servants coming to sign up, being feared to trust them with their contracts. Since that was being the case, the planters started to use Black Slaves. Having Black Slaves were a lot cheaper for two reasons: for one you didn’t have to pay them and two they didn’t have contracts so you practically owned them. The North thought it was unfair since you cant actually own a human being; that’s like saying a dog can own another dog which sounds completely ridiculous. The Southerners later retaliate explaining “Slaves enjoy being owned and being able to work and live in a happy home.” Which everyone found it being a false, who in their right mind would enjoy doing free labor for a person who whips you for every time you don’t seem to Rodriguez 2 listen to your master, well apparently their master’s think so. As the years pass on the debate on slavery has yet to occur. Douglas was a man...
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...Lincoln understood that there was a universal public opinion that not only allowed slavery but that agreed to slavery. Abolitionists of slavery knew that the principle of natural equal rights was being delayed. Jefferson as well as Washington and Madison put into practice the equal natural rights amongst the black slaves specifically by restricting the further movement of slavery into the new territories and passing the law of the slave trade, which restricted Americans to buy slaves from Africa (Lincoln 447). Judge Douglas was known to only please the people and implemented bills that would not halt the spread slavery, Lincoln understood that Judge Douglas was led by his passions of being known by the public and did not consider the bills that he would pass, however Lincoln did try to cease the spread of...
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...Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1809. His parents were Thomas and Nancy Lincoln. He was raised in a farm near Hodgenville, Kentucky. During his childhood Abraham was in the period of slavery, but the Lincoln family did not own any slaves, not only because they couldn’t afford it, but also his father Thomas did not approve of it. Later in 1816 the Lincoln family had to move to Indiana, near the Ohio River. Soon enough in 1818 Abraham’s mother, Nancy Lincoln, died of milk sickness. After the mother died, Thomas found a new wife named Sarah Bush Johnston. A few years later, the life in Indiana wasn’t as expected and the family had to move to Macon Country, Illinois. Abraham believed that he should be off by himself, and soon enough is what he did at the age of 23, and later he began his political career and became a member of the Whig party, and also a candidate for the Illinois House of Representatives. In 1832, after being fired from his job at a store, he decided to join the Illinois militia to help fight in the Black Hack war, and was chosen captain by his group. He served his country for 3 months, and it changed his life forever, because during the time he was in the militia, he saved an innocent Native American from being attacked from the other soldiers in the camp. When things were bad for him, he gave it his best to bring himself up again, and in 1834 Lincoln ran for state legislature, and in a few years he learned everything to become a lawyer and took an oath to...
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...Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1809. His parents were Thomas and Nancy Lincoln. He was raised in a farm near Hodgenville, Kentucky. During his childhood Abraham was in the period of slavery, but the Lincoln family did not own any slaves, not only because they couldn’t afford it, but also his father Thomas did not approve of it. Later in 1816 the Lincoln family had to move to Indiana, near the Ohio River. Soon enough in 1818 Abraham’s mother, Nancy Lincoln, died of milk sickness. After the mother died, Thomas found a new wife named Sarah Bush Johnston. A few years later, the life in Indiana wasn’t as expected and the family had to move to Macon Country, Illinois. Abraham believed that he should be off by himself, and soon enough is what he did at the age of 23, and later he began his political career and became a member of the Whig party, and also a candidate for the Illinois House of Representatives. In 1832, after being fired from his job at a store, he decided to join the Illinois militia to help fight in the Black Hack war, and was chosen captain by his group. He served his country for 3 months, and it changed his life forever, because during the time he was in the militia, he saved an innocent Native American from being attacked from the other soldiers in the camp. When things were bad for him, he gave it his best to bring himself up again, and in 1834 Lincoln ran for state legislature, and in a few years he learned everything to become a lawyer and took an oath...
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