Before engaging in the debates with Senator Stephen A. Douglas, Lincoln was relatively unknown in the political world and was just beginning his career in politics. Abraham Lincoln’s reputation was just starting to grow, and his life was about to make a drastic change. The Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 were a turning point in Abraham Lincoln’s political career.
Lincoln had served four terms in the Illinois legislature, and now desired an office with greater prestige. Lincoln had served the Whig Party well, and election to Congress became his goal.
In 1843 and 1844, Lincoln lost the nomination for Congress to other candidates. Although disappointed, he kept striving for his goal. Finally, in 1846, his hard work had paid off. Abraham Lincoln won the Whig nomination for the U. S. House of Representatives.
Lincoln started his Congressional career on December 6, 1847. He failed to make the reputation he had hoped for in Congress. Some of his main tasks included, a bill that would free slaves in the District of Columbia and supporting the Wilmot Proviso, banning slavery in territories acquired from Mexico. He also supported the Whig policy which had the government paying for internal improvements, and in 1848, he worked on the nomination and election of Zachary Taylor, the Whig candidate for President. Already in his political career, Lincoln had a strong stand on slavery. His term ended on March 4, 1849. Lincoln’s stay in Congress was brief and frustrating. He opposed the Mexican War so vigorously that he lost much of his popularity with his constituency. At the expiration of his term in 1849 he returned home and sank into the political background.
At that point, Lincoln decided to return to Springfield, Illinois and revive his law career. He practiced law more seriously than ever and represented big businesses and corporations in many lawsuits, and soon prospered. After successfully defending the Illinois Central Railroad in an important tax case, he became known as the leading lawyer of Illinois. His reputation all over the state had grown steadily. However, Lincoln knew that law was not his dream.
Abraham Lincoln decided to reenter politics. At that point in time, there had been a sudden change in the national theme towards slavery. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 had prohibited slavery in territories north of Missouri’s southern boundary. Then in 1854, Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois introduced the Kansas-Nebraska Act. “I [Lincoln] think, and shall try to show, that it is wrong; wrong in its direct effect, letting slavery into Kansas and Nebraska—and wrong in its prospective principle, allowing it to spread to every part of the wide world, where men can be found inclined to take it” (Fehrenbacher, Lincoln, 1832-1858 510). Lincoln was against Douglas’ principles and wanted to stand up for what he believed was right. Richard Heckman states in his book, Lincoln vs. Douglas, that “It was not until 1854 that he [Lincoln] again emerged as an active political figure” (35).
Lincoln believed that the Declaration of Independence contained rights for freedom and equality, and could not be taken away from anyone. Slavery, Harold Holzer said, “It is the eternal struggle between these two principles---right and wrong---throughout the world” (35). He believed these same principles, and knew that the citizens of the United States had their Constitutional right to own slaves. However, Lincoln wanted to show the people how cruel and evil slavery really is, and had strong morals which were totally against slavery. He stood by these morals throughout his life.
Lincoln was again elected to the Illinois legislature, but resigned to run for the Senate. He always wanted more, and always wanted a higher position. The Whig Party was falling apart, so he decided to join the antislavery Republican Party, which was only two years old. In 1856, Lincoln made over a hundred speeches which boosted his position in the party. Finally, in 1858, Lincoln was nominated to run against Stephen A. Douglas for the U. S. Senate seat. Donald Phillips wrote in his book,
“When Stephen A. Douglas heard that he would be running against Abraham Lincoln for the United States Senate in 1858, he knew that he was up against a formidable opponent. Douglas called him “the strong man of his party—full of wit, facts, dates, and the best stump-speaker with droll-ways and dry jokes in the west” (146).

Douglas already thought that Lincoln was a great politician, and knew that he would have his hands full.
After being nominated, Lincoln gave his famous “House Divided” speech which caused much grief between the North and the South.
“In my opinion, it will not cease, until a crisis shall have been reached, and passed—A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved—I do not expect the house to fall—but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other” (Appelbaum 25).

Lincoln’s “House Divided” speech established his position on slavery. He thought that slavery should be contained in its traditional home in the Southern states, where it would eventually die out if not allowed to spread. He was not going to let slavery spread through the entire United States.
A short while after he was nominated, Lincoln challenged Stephen A. Douglas to a series of debates. Douglas quickly accepted, and named seven sites in Illinois for these debates. Lincoln could have proved his stand against slavery in a Senate debate, but the debates with Douglas received a lot of national recognition.
The first of the seven joint debates took place in Ottawa, Illinois, on Saturday, August 21, 1858. Lincoln knew that he was inexperienced and there was a lot he had to learn. Lincoln opened with confidence. He knew that the Judge [Douglas] was a great man, and that he was a small man, but he thought he could defeat Douglas (Fehrenbacher, Lincoln, 1832-1858 518). Lincoln spoke in a totally contrasting style than Douglas. Douglas was offensive and wanted to make his point known. While on the other hand, Lincoln joked and spoke rather laid back. The audience was amused by Lincoln’s style of speaking, and laughed and applauded many times. Although the audience was amused, his Republican Party was not. They wanted Lincoln to be more aggressive in the next debate. Lincoln had never been applauded and didn’t know what to make of it. He now knew that there were people on his side.
At the second debate at Freeport, Lincoln arrived in a Conestoga wagon, which reflected his frontier roots. While he was speaking, he pledged that it was Congress’ right and duty to terminate slavery in all the United States (Fehrenbacher, Lincoln,
1832-1858 539). He wanted to move away from everything that linked him to radicalism, especially abolitionist ideas. “…Lincoln forced Douglas to repeat his conviction that slavery could be kept out of territories by a vote of the people (the famous “Freeport doctrine”), a position that infuriated Southern Democrats and was to compromise Douglas’s aspirations for the presidency” (Cuomo 102). Lincoln was only beginning at this point to earn national attention.
The next debate was at Jonesboro on Wednesday, September 15, 1858. It had the smallest crowd of all the debates. Lincoln was raised close to Jonesboro, and thought that he could connect with the people. However, Douglas was brought up further North. But, Lincoln was wrong, it was anything but Lincoln country. The majority of the people were for slavery, not against it. This debate proved disappointing for Lincoln and his followers. He had to bounce back in the next debate, in Charleston. The people felt sorry for Lincoln while Douglas spoke. And then, they felt even more sorry for Douglas, when Lincoln spoke.
At Charleston, Lincoln tried to break away from any radicalism. He didn’t want to be labeled as an abolitionist. In this particular debate, Lincoln showed his support of the Fugitive Slave Law. He said that slavery was protected by the Constitution. People felt that he went too far, and if he did, then it worked in his favor. He always spoke the truth. Almost anything he said was backed up by facts. He learned this technique from his career as a lawyer. If he was wrong about something, he would admit it cheerfully (Fehrenbacher, Lincoln, 1832-1858 650). This debate, as well as all the debates in general, were focused on one main concern: Whether or not the government should ban slavery in the United States, or do the citizens have the democratic right to end slavery. Also, Lincoln stated, “Now, my opinion is, that the different States have the power to make a negro a citizen under the constitution of the United States, if they choose. The Dred Scott decision decides that they have not” (Holzer 226).
The fifth debate was held at Galesburg, which hosted the largest crowd of 15,000, at Knox College. This debate helped Lincoln regain his confidence. Lincoln was relaxed, but spoke aggressively. He attacked all of Douglas’ points firmly. He replied to the Kansas problem with inspiration and determination. Lincoln felt that no group should be able to take away a individual’s God-given right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” blacks were “our equals” (Holzer 236). Lincoln was so dedicated to this topic, and would not give up. He wanted to prove to the town of Galesburg that slavery was “a moral and political wrong.” Lincoln would use the law whenever he had the chance. “The Republican press hailed the Galesburg encounter as an incontrovertible Lincoln victory” (Holzer 236). He was gradually gaining respect from the people. Lincoln’s words at this debate would not be forgotten.
The next encounter took place in Quincy, Illinois, on Wednesday, October 13, 1858. This was the nastiest of the campaigns. It focused on personal issues of both speakers, and the differences in speaking techniques, physical appearances, and personalities. Lincoln made sure that he was not assumed to be an abolitionist. He would sometimes bend his knees and body and shoot up to show emphasis on a certain point. Although there was a lot of seriousness, there was also some laughter and humor. At the conclusion of the debate, there was a “splendid torchlight procession” by the Republicans. (Cuomo 101).
The seventh and final debate, was held in Alton, Illinois, on October 15, 1858. Strangely, this debate was the second smallest of the series. This was the first time in the series, that the two debaters arrived together. Neither candidate brought any new points to the table. Instead, both Lincoln and Douglas summed up their arguments. They still discussed the emphasis on slavery in the territories and the union of the United States. Lincoln wanted to get through to the people that blacks should have the same legal rights that are written in the Declaration of Independence. “Lincoln’s performance in the final debate, he maintained, “sounded the knell of slavery” for the entire nation--although surely he exaggerated his candidate’s impact on that small audience on October 15, 1858” (Holzer 323-324).
The debates touched “some of the most vital principles of our political system” (Johannsen 666). Each debate had onlookers from the vicinity, but many out-of-country crowds attended also. The Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 were published in newspapers across the country.
“The printed debates proved highly advantageous to Lincoln, and since little actual campaigning was done by presidential nominees in 1860, Lincoln was able to refer the electorate to his position in 1858 as printed in the Follet, Foster publication. The issues were the same as were his proposed solutions” (Heckman 144).

Lincoln published the debates because he wanted everyone to know who he really was and what he stood for. The debates received national recognition, which benefited Lincoln politically. Alex Ayres stated, “Both men gain political stature as a result of these debates, which attract national attention. Although Lincoln loses the senatorial contest, both men become contenders for the presidency in 1860, and both are ultimately nominated by their parties” (212). During the debates, Lincoln centered on the extension of slavery into free territory. He could have talked about other subjects of major importance, but he and the Illinois voters, felt that the major concern of the country was the condition of the institution of slavery (Donald 225). Lincoln referred to the Dred Scott Decision, and stated that slavery is “a moral, social, and political evil.” He also had a high, penetrating voice that reached large audiences. The debates helped Lincoln more than they helped Douglas.
Lincoln began traveling far, speaking daily at meetings. The state of Illinois was divided into districts where elections were held. Stephen A. Douglas was reelected and defeated Lincoln. Despite his defeat, Lincoln became the leading Republican in Illinois and was being talked about as a candidate for president. He was disappointed, but told his followers that he would never give up, even after, “one hundred defeats” (Donald 229). Lincoln indeed, was made nationally famous due to the debates (Heckman 8).
In early 1860, people were starting a Lincoln-for-president movement. Lincoln wanted to prove to his followers that he would keep striving for what he felt was right. To improve his popularity, he made more than 175 speeches. One, was an address at Cooper Union in New York City on February 27th. The speech concerned the Founding Fathers and slavery. Again, Lincoln spoke about slavery. He ended with the famous plea, “Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it” (Elliot 51). That speech helped Lincoln to secure the presidential nomination. Another address by Lincoln in New England made a strong impression on Eastern Republicans. By the end of the speaking tour of New England, Lincoln became a leading candidate for president (Delbanco 165).
Prior to the debates, Lincoln was a stranger in the national political scheme. However, preceding the debates, his political career excelled dramatically. By the time the Republican National Convention was held on May 16, 1860, Lincoln was well-known by the delegates. They awarded him with the presidential nomination. Lincoln’s followers nicknamed him “the Railsplitter.” His views on slavery became a little more moderate, but intense. His humble background aroused voters. All his popular votes came from the North. Lincoln won the presidential election of 1860, easily.
“It was the wit and wisdom of Abraham Lincoln that first won him the hearts of the people. Prior to his election as president in 1860 he never held a higher post than that of a one-term Illinois congressman. But people
trusted Lincoln instinctively because he seemed wiser than other men, and
they liked him because he was funnier than other men” (Ayres IX).

Becoming president was Lincoln’s most astonishing accomplishment.
Lincoln said farewell to his Springfield companions, and took the oath of office on March 4, 1861, and became the sixteenth President of the United States. During his first term, Lincoln had many great achievements. Some highlights included, building the national army, strengthening the home front, and keeping a check with foreign relations. He issued a policy to free the slaves in the Confederate territories, the Emancipation Proclamation, and having a unusual life in the White House. His first term ended, but he was reelected in 1864. During his second term, Lincoln, became a master politician, made tough decisions to save the union in the Civil War, and when the war ceased, he reunited the nation. “Lincoln was the president who argued that government has a responsibility “to do for the people what…they can not…do at all, or do so well, for themselves” (Cuomo XXIV). His biggest accomplishments while as president, were issuing the Emancipation Proclamation and saving the union from total secession.
In summation, Abraham Lincoln had a firm stand on slavery. However, he was not an abolitionist. Lincoln did not want to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia, nor the slave trade among slave states (Fehrenbacher, Lincoln, 1859-1865 191). Lincoln’s political position took a drastic turnaround after the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Former Governor of New York, Mario Cuomo said,
“I enjoy joking with people today that I’ve always admired Lincoln because he’s reassuring to politicians like me. He was himself a big, homely-looking politician from a poor family who started off by losing a few elections, yet in the end succeeded brilliantly” (XXIV).
Once the Lincoln-Douglas debates concluded, Abraham Lincoln was known all over the state of Illinois, and then known throughout the nation. He was one of the greatest orators and debaters in American history. “With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed. Consequently he who molds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or pronounces decisions” (Phillips 38). The above quotation was part of Lincoln’s remarks in the first Lincoln-Douglas debate at Ottawa on August 21, 1858. Also, Lincoln was one of the best extemporaneous debaters of all time (Phillips 145). Lincoln listened to what the people wanted, which gained him popularity and respect. During the debates, he was always confident, mostly because he stood up for what he believed was right. Even if Lincoln’s ideas were of the minority, he would not back down. These verbal skills benefited him throughout his political career. Besides national interest, Lincoln received worldwide appeal. This tall, honest politician was now known across the globe.
The Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 marked a turning point in Abraham Lincoln’s political career, and lead to his popularity among the United States. Finally, without the debates, a great leader, Lincoln, would never have been produced. “Abraham Lincoln was a great writer and a great orator as well as a great leader” (Ayres IX). Abraham Lincoln started his political career as a nobody, but in the end was greatly admired.