Implications and Links

1.  The debates displayed the huge gap between Democrats and Republicans on the issue of slavery.

2.  The debates displayed the even bigger gap between the North and the South, even in a border state like Illinois, on the issue of slavery.

3.  The debates immediately helped Douglas win the United States Senate seat.

4.  The debates gave Abraham Lincoln a national reputation that would help him win the presidency in 1860.

5.  The debates inadvertently started a new process by which the public could form an opinion about their political leaders.  

Links

Abraham Lincoln Links

http://encarta.msn.com/find/concise.asp?ti=06442000

http://www.historyplace.com/lincoln/divided.htm

http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/glimpse/presidents/html/al16.html

Stephen Douglas Links

http://encarta.msn.com/find/concise.asp?ti=01C36000

http://www.outfitters.com/illinois/history/civil/douglas-sa.html

Debate Links

http://www.outfitters.com/illinois/history/civil/debates.html

http://www.geocites.com/televisioncity/1308/Lincoln-Douglas-Debates.html

References (Besides above websites)

McPherson, James M.  Ordeal By Fire: The Civil War and Reconstruction               2nd ed.  New York:  McGraw-Hill Inc, 1992.

Angle, Paul M.  Created Equal?  The Complete Lincoln-Douglas Debates               of 1858.  Chicago:  The University of Chicago Press, 1958.

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This website was created by

Stoye Young

mailto: syoung0@georgetowncollege.edu 

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