Week 11 american Studies 28 April 2014

1. Week 11american Studies28 April 2014 The Lincoln-Douglas Debates The Election of 1860

2. Political Parties in the 1850’s • Democratic Party • Party of Jefferson, Jackson • Rural, slave-owning, Southern • Favored States Rights • Favored war with Mexico • Divided into 2 parts • Southern—wanted to secede from the Union • Northern—were ok with slavery, but opposed to secession

3. Whig Party • Party of Henry Clay—the Great Compromiser • Favored strong federal government • Internal improvements—modernize economy • Opposed Mexican War • Lincoln’s original party • Divided over slavery--Went out of business

4. Free Soil Party • Single-issue party 1848-1852 • Not abolitionist but wanted western territories to be free “Free soil, free speech, Fremont!” Explorer and national hero John C. Fremont was their candidate for president in 1852. Fremont

5. The Republican Party began in Wisconsin in 1855

6. Republican Party • GOP—Grand Old Party • Combination of anti-slavery Whigs, Free Soil Party, abolitionists, Northern business people.

7. In 1858 Stephan A. Douglas was running for reelection the U.S. Senate against the relatively unknown Abraham Lincoln. They had 7 debates in 7 different cities from one end of Illinois to another.

8. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates were held outdoors in front of up to 15,000 people and lasted 2 hours each. There were no microphones. Their words were recorded by newspaper stenographers. The audience cheered, jeered, laughed and called out questions and comments.

9. People came from all over Illinois and neighboring states. Special trains were packed with spectators from Chicago. Hotels were overwhelmed and people in the debate towns made money renting out their spare rooms.

10. Stephan A. Douglas • Incumbent senator from Illinois--Democrat • Author of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 • This gave states the right to vote on whether to have slavery • Saw no reason why free states & slave states could not coexist. • Supported Dred Scott decision • Opposed to recognizing blacks as citizens • Used racially charged rhetoric to get crowd fired up • Accused Lincoln of being an abolitionist and a “Black Republican”

11. Abraham Lincoln • Republican challenger • Successful lawyer, but not as well known as Douglas. • Story-teller, stand-up comedian. • Denied being an abolitionist but insisted that blacks should have some basic rights. • “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” • Quote from Jesus. • Country must become all slave or all free.

12. And the winner is. . . Lincoln got the most actual votes, but in 1858 senators were not elected by popular votes. They were elected indirectly by the state legislature. So Douglas was reelected. Lincoln lost but gained national recognition and respect.

13. The election of 1860 featured 4 major contenders. • Northern Democrats---Stephen A. Douglas • Southern Democrats—John C. Breckenridge • Constitutional Union Party— John Bell • Republican Party—Abraham Lincoln

14. The election was split along regional lines. Lincoln won with less than 50%. In the Southern states he was not even on the ballot.

15. Lincoln took office March 4, 1860. In his inaugural speech he assured the South that he had no intention of attacking slavery where it existed. Some Southern newspapers failed to report this part of the speech.* *http://housedivided.dickinson.edu/sites/blogdivided/2011/03/04/president-abraham-lincolns-first-inaugural-address-2/

16. April 12, 1861. The South responded to Lincoln’s speech by bombarding Fort Sumter, S.C., and the Civil War had begun.