When did Stephen A Douglas debate Abraham Lincoln in Illinois?
In the mid-1850's Douglas and Lincoln began one of the most
famous political feuds in American history, it became known as the
Lincoln-Douglas debates but the debates actually had began many
years earlier. In Illinois's fourth capital, the Vandalia State
House is where Douglas and Lincoln had their first debate around
1837. They continued with more debates in early 1840's above Joshua
Speed's dry goods store, "where many aspirants politicians met" in
Springfield, Illinois. During the 1840 presidential election
Douglas made the decision to take their debates outside in the
street, which lasted a week. Douglas enjoyed political fights and
that is how he got his nickname the "Little Giant". Another reason
was the many debates became more personal over Mary Todd "Lincoln's
future wife and Douglas's past girlfriend". The famous
Lincoln-Douglas debates was in mid-1850's and began over the
Kansas-Nebraska Act, that under-minded the Missouri Compromise.
Douglas saw it as "Manifest Destiny" but Lincoln saw it as a
deliberate spread of slavery into Kansas and other once
free-territories. Lincoln was Illinois Republican Party's
nomination for senator, and ran against Douglas but even though
Lincoln won the debates he still lost the senate to Douglas. Until
the Presidential campaign of 1860. With the Democratic Party split,
a Republican was sure to win. Lincoln was reserved in his campaign
and stayed at home, allowing his supporters to speak for him.
Douglas however did not, he campaigned furiously but Lincoln still
won both popular and electoral college votes. I