The Lincoln-Douglas debates were a series of seven debates held in 1858 between Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate, and Stephen A. Douglas, the Democratic incumbent, for the U.S. Senate seat from Illinois. While primarily focused on issues of slavery and its expansion into the territories, these debates brought national attention to the stark ideological divide between the North and the South regarding slavery. Lincoln argued against the spread of slavery and promoted the idea that it was morally wrong, whereas Douglas advocated for popular sovereignty, allowing territories to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery.
These debates significantly contributed to the tensions leading to the Civil War by crystallizing the contrasting views on slavery and highlighting the growing sectional divide in the country. Lincoln's articulate opposition to slavery and his moral arguments caught the attention of the nation, galvanizing anti-slavery sentiment in the North. Meanwhile, Douglas's stance on popular sovereignty reinforced fears among Southerners that their way of life was threatened, exacerbating regional hostilities. Ultimately, the debates symbolized the broader conflicts within American society that would culminate in the outbreak of the Civil War just a few years later.