In the midst of the heated atmosphere of the 1858 Illinois Senate debates, two prominent figures faced off on one of America’s most contentious issues: slavery. Abraham Lincoln, representing the Republican Party, believed that slavery was morally wrong and should not be allowed to spread into new territories. He argued that all people deserved the right to be free, and he believed that the nation could not endure half slave and half free. Lincoln wanted to put an end to the expansion of slavery, while also hoping to contain it so that it would eventually die out. His approach was more about stopping the spread rather than outright abolition at that time.
On the other side was Stephen A. Douglas, a Democrat and the incumbent senator. Douglas believed in the idea of popular sovereignty, which meant that the people living in a territory should be able to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery. He thought that it was wrong for the federal government to impose its will on the states and that each state should have the right to determine its own laws. This difference in views created a tense environment during the debates, with enthusiastic supporters from both sides rallying for their candidates and passionately discussing their beliefs. While Lincoln painted a picture of a united nation free from the stain of slavery, Douglas focused on the rights of individuals and territories to choose their own paths, making these debates a pivotal moment in American history.