history of the original Lincoln Douglas Debate

A detailed Summary of history of the original Lincoln Douglas Debate

In 1858, there was a great struggle within the state of Illinois for a seat in the Senate. The well know Stephen A. Douglas, the favored candidate, was excepted to win. Abraham Lincoln was not a well known candidate. In a struggle for the possible position, Lincoln proposed that he and Douglas organize a series of debates, so that both men might "divide time, and address the same audiences during the same canvass." Douglas accepted, and he feared that he had "everything to lose from a joint appearance, and yet to decline the challenge would have seemed unmanly in the West of the mid nineteenth century." Douglas then purposed dates and places; Lincoln complained that Douglas would have four opening and closings speeches whereas he would have only three, he wrote "I accede, and thus close the arrangement." The first of seven debates was on Saturday, August 21, 1858 at Ottawa, which started an important part of the history of the United States of America, the Lincoln-Douglas debates.

The Ottawa debate set the format for the remaining six debates. Lincoln and Douglas agreed that the first speaker would speak for an hour, the second speaker for an hour and a half, and the first speaker again for half an hour. On August 21

Douglas then went on to criticizing Lincoln on his responses. He accused Lincoln and Trumbull of having made a deal to divide the state's two Senate seats between them. His time was soon over and Lincoln rose for his rebuttal. Lincoln again defended himself against the notion of being a part of the Black Republican Party and defended against the charge that he did not fully answer Douglas' purposed questions, especially on the admission of new slave states and there effect on the Union. With his remaining time, Lincoln addressed Douglas' attack on the Washington Union charge that Douglas was the only person to denounce the doctrine. The second debate was over. However this debate left a negative effect on Doulgas' future.

On the day of elections, the final count of statewide votes stood Republicans 125,430, Democrats 121,609, and Buchanan Democrats 5,079. Then the legislature met on January 5 to choose a Senator. The vote was: Douglas 54 and Lincoln 41. Douglas had won. When White House asked Lincoln how he felt, he said, "Well, it hurts too much to laugh, and I'm too big to cry." However, his outlook would change. After all, the debates had turned out just as he expected. This was only the end of something just beginning.

Douglas quickly went on attack. Once again, he brought up the Black Republican Party and Lincoln's connection to it. He argued that Lincoln did not deny being a part of that party. He talked of the Springfield convention and reminded Lincoln of his whereabouts on that day.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 3076
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History