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. 1860 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