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Lincoln-Douglas Debates Timeline

(August 21–October 15, 1858)

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates were a series of seven political debates held in Illinois in 1858 between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. Their arguments over slavery, popular sovereignty, and the future of the United States made them a defining moment in the years before the Civil War. Less

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Events

Ottawa debate

Aug 21, 1858

The first of the Lincoln–Douglas debates took place in Ottawa, Illinois. Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas began their publicly documented series of exchanges over slavery, popular sovereignty, and the future political organization of the western territories.

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Ottawa debate

Freeport debate

Aug 27, 1858

The second debate took place in Freeport, Illinois. The debates continued to focus on whether slavery should be permitted in territories and new states formed from lands acquired through the Louisiana Purchase and the Mexican Cession.

Jonesboro debate

Sep 15, 1858

The third debate was held in Jonesboro, Illinois. Lincoln addressed the dangers that the expansion of slavery posed to the Union and referred to controversies involving Missouri, the territories acquired from Mexico, the Compromise of 1850, and Bleeding Kansas.

Charleston debate

Sep 18, 1858

The fourth debate took place in Charleston, Illinois. Lincoln and Douglas continued their dispute over slavery, the meaning of popular sovereignty, and the competing sectional interpretations of the nation's policy toward slavery.

Galesburg debate

Oct 7, 1858

The fifth debate was held in Galesburg, Illinois. The continuing series gave Lincoln an opportunity to raise his state and national profile while allowing Douglas to defend his record and his role in promoting popular sovereignty.

Quincy debate

Oct 13, 1858

The sixth debate took place in Quincy, Illinois. The candidates continued their nationally significant arguments about slavery, the Compromise of 1850, the Kansas–Nebraska Act, and the status of slavery in the western territories.

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Key Facts

  1. The debates took place during the 1858 Illinois Senate campaign between Republican Abraham Lincoln and Democrat Stephen A. Douglas.
  2. Seven debates were held in Ottawa, Freeport, Jonesboro, Charleston, Galesburg, Quincy, and Alton, Illinois.
  3. Slavery’s expansion into the western territories was the central issue of the debates.
  4. Lincoln argued that slavery was morally wrong and should not spread, while Douglas defended popular sovereignty, allowing territories to decide the issue for themselves.
  5. Although Douglas won the Senate election, Lincoln’s performance increased his national reputation and helped lead to his 1860 presidential nomination.

Source

This Lincoln-Douglas Debates timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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