Lincoln vs Douglas: Presidential Debates and Slavery

Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas ran against each other for presidency and the US. Senate. Lincoln had lost against Douglas for the Senate seat, and then won for presidency. Lincoln and Douglas had challenged each other with many debates during the election for the Senate seat. There were seven debates that took place. All debates had different topics. A couple of the debates consisted of many key issues such as policy, character, and slavery (Benoit).

Both speakers, Lincoln and Douglas, touch on the key issues regarding policy and character. There were different types of policies like goals, and future plans, and there were different character forms like qualities and ideals (Benoit). One thing both candidates mentioned was the “the legality of slavery.” Douglas briefly mentions, “I hold that humanity and Christianity both require that the negro shall have and enjoy every right, every privilege, and every immunity consistent with the safety of the society in which he lives” (Benoit). Another topic that arose was the “morality of slavery.” They came down to the conclusion that if slavery were to be legal, then it would be immoral (Adkison). Douglas argued that every voter in every state would be able to decide on their own whether they

wanted to allow slavery to happen or not; however, Lincoln argued somewhat against that saying that there should be no slavery expect for those “slave states.” In one of the debates, Douglas summarized what Lincoln had said previously in a different argument. He said that Lincoln’s thoughts were either the states would to be full of slavery, or the states would be free. Lincoln replied to Douglas saying that the controversy of the relationship between Judge Douglas and he had affected the input on slavery (“The Lincoln- Douglas Debates”).
Leading up to the debates of Lincoln and Douglas, many events had happened.

These events had helped keep the slavery issue alive. At first, there was the Compromise of 1850. This compromise made Texas give up its land. In return, Texas got 10 million dollars so it would be able to pay off its debts. The following quote states what had happened, “Slave trade would be abolished… although slavery would still be permitted” (“Compromise of 1850 and the Fugitive Slave Act”). Next, the Fugitive Slave Act was passed. It required everyone to help with fugitive slaves. According to the article “The Compromise of 1850 and the Fugitive Slave Act,” the Fugitive Slave Act made the subject of slavery come out more out into the

public.
The occurrence of the Civil War did not depend on these events listed above. The Civil War occurred because of the struggle to preserve the Union. Many had thought that it would be the struggle to free the slaves, which is not that case. Indeed, many slaves did escape, but it is known that the “Union generals established abolitionist policies in the Southern Land that they conquered” (“Slavery in the United States”). Eventually, on December 6, 1865, the United States made its 13th amendment which says no to slavery (“Slavery in the United States”).