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First Debate: Ottawa, Illinois
Douglas began this debate and charged Lincoln with trying to abolish the Whig party (which supported the supremacy of Congress over the President) and the Democratic Party. In Lincoln's rebuttal, he ignored questions directed towards him and instead defended himself and his beliefs. He also accused Douglas with trying to nationalize slavery. Douglas responded by calling Lincoln a radical abolitionist. -
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Lincoln-Douglas Debates
The Lincoln-Douglas debates were a series of 7 debates in which both Lincoln and Douglas argued about issues like slavery in order to try and gain the support of the Illinois State Legislature. -
Second Debate: Freeport, Illinois
Lincoln began by answering questions that he ignored during the previous debate, and then answering some of his own.
This later became known as the Freeport Doctrine Douglas attacked the views of Lincoln and weakened many of his arguments to petty ideas. -
Third Debate: Jonesboro, Illinois
Douglas began by saying that Lincoln spoke about varius things in different states that were not related at all. This weakened Lincoln's stance. Lincoln argued against Douglas's claim and began quoting and explaining his previous speeches. In his rebuttal, Douglas charged Lincoln with supporting racial equality, a radical idea at the time. -
Fourth Debate: Charleston, Illinois
Lincoln began this debate by responding to Douglas's claim that he stood for racial equality. He then charged Douglas with creating a constitution for Kansas without the people of Kansas voting on it. Lincoln also highlighted the flaws with the Kansas-Nebraska Act. In Douglas's rebuttal, he denied any conspiracy work and further attacked Lincoln's position on equality. -
Fifth Debate: Galesburg, Illinois
Douglas began by explaining his opposition to the Lecompton Constitution (1 of 4 proposed constitutions for Kansas, the Lecompton Constitution wanted to protect and defend the rights of slaveholders). Lincoln spoke about slavery also and concluded by saying that the Declaration of Independence applied to all men. -
Sixth Debate: Quincy, Illinois
Lincoln began by emphasizing how slavery is morally wrong and how the Republicans (including himself) would attack slavery only where the constitution allowed.
Lincoln also delivered his famous "A House Divided
cannot Stand" speech. Douglas countered by saying there was no conspiracy to nationalize slavery. He refused to argue whether slavery was morally right or wrong, but instead said that regions should be allowed to decide that for themselves. -
Seventh Debate: Alton, Illinois
Douglas began by attacking Lincoln's "A House Divided cannot Stand" speech. He then went on to promtoe Popular Sovereignty (the idea that government is created and sustained by consensus of their people, through their chosen representatives). Lincoln pointed out how the Kansas-Nebraska Act repealed the Missouri Compromise. Lincoln then concluded that Douglas "dehumanized and took away from the Negro the right of striving to be a man.”
