Additionally, in the matter of the freeport question, it allowed lincoln to pose douglas the freeport question, which resulted in the freeport doctrine, the popularization of lincoln and his meteoric rise to the presidency in 1860. What was the freeport doctrine and why was it created. By not addressing the moral issue of slavery, douglas did not provide an answer to slavery, but instead portrayed himself as riding the fence. For 250 years, slavery was part of the fabric of american life.
Stated by stephen douglass during the lincolndouglass debates, eventually led to his loss in the 1860 presidential election. The presidency of james buchanan began on march 4, 1857, when james buchanan was inaugurated as president of the united states, and ended on march 4, 1861. Freeport doctrine a doctrine that emerged during the lincolndouglas debates in which douglas reaffirmed his commitment to popular sovereignty, including the right to halt the spread of slavery, despite the 1857 dred scott decision affirming slaveholders right to bring their property wherever they wished. Slavery does not exist unless there are laws that make it exist. At freeport, on the damp and chilly day of august 27, lincoln stood in boots that glistened from the dampness and addressed a prorepublican assembly of some fifteen thousand people. The freeport doctrine was supposed to be a simple means around the dred scott decision. Could slavery be prevented in the territories o dred scott decision said no o douglas takes the position freeport doctrine that territories could limit slavery osoutherners are pissed o results. Douglas takes the position freeport doctrine that territories could limit slavery.
End of the second party system mcpherson ap us history. Abraham lincoln delivered, as indicated by the heading. During the second debate at freeport, douglas advanced a doctrine defending the kansasnebraska act and popular sovereignty even in the face of the dred scott decision. Basically, douglas argued that if the citizens of a state or territory didnt want slavery, it didnt really matter what the supreme court said. By the early morning of august 27, the roads into freeport were lined with people, and this small town of 5,000 swelled to a crowd of 15,000 ro 20,000. How did americas changing foreign policy forge a road towards war and how did it impact americas political and economic systems. The document is heavily limited because it was the opinion of the southern majority that made up the supreme court. In 1858, abraham lincoln a debated stephen douglas b seven times in the. Can the people of a territory in any lawful way, against the wishes of any citizen of the united states, exclude slavery from their.
The lincolndouglas debates of 1858 general history. In 1857, the united states supreme court ended years of legal battles when it ruled that dred scott, a slave who had resided in several free states, should remain a slave. The lincolndouglas debates the 7th and final debate between senatorial candidates abraham lincoln and stephen douglas was held on october 15, 1858, in alton, illinois. The decision, written by chief justice roger taney, also stated that blacks could not be citizens and that congress had no power to limit the spread of slavery. As a result, southern politicians used their demand for a slave code to drive a wedge between the northern and southern wings of the democratic party, 17 splitting the majority political party in 1858. Basically, the freeport doctrine states that slavery can be prevented by people not passing a law requiring or enforcing slavery. Mexican war fought between 1846 and 1848, the mexican war was an attempt by the united states under president polk to assert its right to expansionism by virtue of manifest. Excerpt from stephen douglass freeport doctrine speech at freeport, illinois.
The institution had an enormous economic impact and was central to the wealth of the agrarian south. In rikers view, in other words, at freeport in 1858 lincoln forked douglas much as the russian grandmaster would fork his opponent at the german spa in 1925. Fremont of the republican party in the 1856 presidential election. Short questions dbqs frqs ap united states history. Douglas following the infamous 1857 dred scott decision that opened slavery up to all u. Lincoln tried to force douglas to choose between the principle of popular sovereignty proposed by the kansasnebraska act and the majority decision of the united states supreme court in the case of dred scott v. Deepening of the sectional crisis boundless us history. Stephen arnold douglas april 23, 18 june 3, 1861 was an american politician and lawyer from illinois.
From august 21 until october 15, stephen douglas battled abraham lincoln in face to face debates around the state. The kansas territory erupted in violence in 1855 between the proslavery and antislavery factions. The only two clauses in the constitution which point to this race treat them as. All they had to do was elect a legislature that wouldnt pass any laws that would enforce or protect it. In an 1858 senate campaign speech, abraham lincoln warned that the nation could not endure as a house divided against itself, that is, half slave and half free in 1858, in his socalled freeport doctrine, stephen douglas. For the democrats part, unity within their party frayed over both the dred scott case and the freeport doctrine, undermining the democrats future ability to retain control of the presidency. The freeport doctrine is derived from douglass response in which he argued. Douglas august 27, 1858 the next question propounded to me by mr. In his freeport doctrine of 1858, he repeatedly said that he did not care whether slavery was voted up or down, but only that the people had the right to vote it up or down. Representative abraham lincoln was campaigning to take douglass u.
The civil war 18501865 quiz that tests what you know. The freeport doctrine was articulated by stephen a. Yet just as that late winter game was hardly the last time the maneuver was used in chess, forking ones political opponent scarcely ended in the little nineteenthcentury. Douglas formulated the freeport doctrine at a debate with abraham lincoln in 1858. Douglas alienated southerners with this freeport doctrine, which damaged his chances of winning the presidency in 1860. Douglas denied that the supreme courts 1857 dred scott decision negated popular sovereignty. Lincoln is, can the people of a territory in any lawful way, against the wishes of any citizen of the united states, exclude slavery from their limits prior to the formation of a state constitution. In 1857, several months after president buchanan took the oath of office, the supreme court ruled in dred scott v. It said that no matter what the supreme court ruled if the people vote it down, then it would stay down. Lincolndouglas debates freeport 1858 senator stephen. Freeport doctrine stated that exclusion of slavery in a territory where it was legal could be determined by the refusal of the voters to enact any laws that would protect slave property. Dec 19, 2010 the freeport doctrine, proposed by stephen douglas in a speech at freeport, illinois in 1858, stated that prior to developing their state constitution, the people of a new territory could lawfully exclude slavery from existing in their territory.
Nov 27, 2018 the freeport doctrine was a concept that was devised by the u. Although propounded earlier and elsewhere, this solution of the apparent inconsistency between popular sovereignty and the dred scott decision, advanced at the lincolndouglas debates of 1858. Lincolns stand on slavery in the 1858 illinois senate campaign primary source stephen douglas and the freeport doctrine primary source fragment of abraham lincolns house divided speech primary source lincoln traces the development of his attitudes toward slavery and equality primary source cotton is king. Douglas, american politician, leader of the democratic party, and orator who espoused the cause of popular sovereignty in relation to the issue of slavery in the territories before the civil war. Helpers the impending crisis of the south 1857 further polarized the nation. Freeport, illinois, august 27, 1858 douglas stated his freeport doctrine as follows it matters not what way the supreme court may hereafter decide as to the abstract question whether slavery may or may not go into a territory under the constitution, the people have the. There, lincoln asked douglas to reconcile the dred scott decision, which allowed slaveowners to take slavery into the western territories, with popular sovereignty. Today bronze statues of douglas and lincoln stand to commemorate the event at lincoln douglas square in alton. Arguably, the freeport doctrine exposed a truism of the american form of government and federalism, but his doctrine also challenged the government and that is likely its undoing. In the second debate at freeport, lincoln got douglas to state the freeport doctrine the next question propounded to me by mr. Cchief justice taneys ruling on the dred scott case.
Lincoln during his hour is creditable to this vast audience, composed of men of various political parties. Senate seat by strongly opposing all attempts to expand the geographic area in which slavery was practiced. Douglas and republican challenger abraham lincoln during the 1858 illinois senatorial campaign, largely concerning the issue of slavery extension into the territories. As im sure people here know, its was the freeport doctrine set forth by steven douglas in his debate with lincoln which lead to the splitting of the democratic party. When douglas articulated his freeport doctrine in 1858 in debates with abraham lincoln, he fanned southern fears that territorial legislatures would fail to pass the local laws necessary to support slavery. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the civil war 18501865 and what it means. Stephen douglas and the freeport doctrine digital history id 368. August 27, 1858 thousands of people came to freeport from miles around to view the second debate between lincoln and douglas.
He denounced as sacrilegious the petitions signed by thousands of clergymen in 1854, who said the kansasnebraska act offended gods will. A comprehensive, contextual presentation of all aspectssocial, political, and economicof slavery in the united states, from the first colonization through reconstruction. Lincoln answered the seven questions douglas posed at ottawa and then asked four of his own. Senator douglas response to lincoln became known as the freeport doctrine and had a profound effect not only on the result of the 1858 election, but the results of the 1860 presidential election. Lincolndouglas debates, series of seven debates between the democratic senator stephen a. Jan 06, 20 as im sure people here know, its was the freeport doctrine set forth by steven douglas in his debate with lincoln which lead to the splitting of the democratic party. Senate seat by strongly opposing all attempts to expand the geographic area in which slavery was permitted. The lincolndouglas debates 1858 lincoln challenged douglas to a series of debates 7 from aug. Lincoln attempted to force douglas to admit that the dred scott decision had made his solution to slavery in the territoriespopular sovereigntyuntenable. Bjohn browns manifesto that was intended to launch a slave rebellion. Douglas stated that new territories can chose to exclude slavery with the effect of making the dread scott decision void. Freeport illinois more information community sites of.
He engaged in a series of eloquent debates with republican senate candidate abraham lincoln in 1858. In the summer and the fall of 1858 two of the most influential statesmen of the late. Freeport doctrine was stephen douglass doctrine that, in spite of the dred scott decision, slavery could be excluded from territories of the united states by local legislation. Douglas response became known as the freeport doctrine which had ramifications at the 1860 democratic national convention. This was douglas responses to the freeport question. Douglas answered that slavery was not supported by the result of inquiries into abstract questions such as the outcome of the dred scott case. Astephen douglass argument that people could keep slavery out of a territory by refusing to pass laws supporting it. Douglas was trying to push for popular soveriegnity for the kansas nebraska act. The debates reached a climax at freeport on august 27, 1858. Arguably the freeport doctrine exposed a truism of the. The secession of south carolina from the nation 1860 calendar. Democrat for the illinois senate in 1858 o 7 debates held o lincoln challenges douglas on dred scott decision. He was one of the democratic party nominees for president in the 1860 election which was won by republican candidate abraham lincoln. Planters feared that nonslaveholding majority might abandon thema banned book.
Lincolndouglas debates, 1858 john brown election of 1860 south carolina ordinance of secession, 1860. Can the people of a united states territory, in any lawful way, against the. Helper wrote the impending crisis, a book about slavery. The lincolndouglas debate of 1858 consisted of 7 debates in illinois and many issues which were debated, such as the idea of popular sovereignty and the scott decision. Lincolndouglas debate sectionalism leading to civil war. Buchanan, a democrat from pennsylvania, took office as the 15th united states president after defeating former president millard fillmore of the american party, and john c. These debates were for the senators seat to represent illinois in senate. Lincolndouglas debates 1858 senate seat in illinois a. The first joint debate between douglas and lincoln which i attended the second in the series of seven took place on. In 1858, as the country moved ever closer to disunion, two politicians from. In 1858, as the country moved ever closer to disunion, two politicians from illinois attracted the attention of a nation. What long term results occurred because of the lincolndouglas debates. Douglas during a debate with abraham lincoln that territories could circumvent a supreme court ruling that disallowed the banning of slavery by not enforcing slave owners rights. The freeport doctrine antagonized southerners who supported slavery, and.
First argued by stephen douglass in 1858 in response to abraham lincolns freeport question. The first joint debate between douglas and lincoln which i attended the second in the series of seven took. In 1860 the lincolndouglas debates were printed as a book and used as an. The popularity of these debates and of lincolns book propelled honest abe. In 1857, the supreme courts dred scott decision permitted slavery in all western territories, invalidating the missouri compromise of 1820. Douglas at the second of the lincolndouglas debates on august 27, 1858, in freeport, illinois. Another election, which is deemed an important one, is approaching, and, as i suppose, the republican party will, without much difficulty elect their state ticket. Lincolndouglas debates summary, dates, significance. Perfect prep for the civil war 18501865 quizzes and tests you might have in school. Apr 28, 2020 freeport doctrine although propounded earlier and elsewhere, this solution of the apparent inconsistency between popular sovereignty and the dred scott decision, advanced at the lincolndouglas debates of 1858 in freeport, illinois, came to be known as the freeport doctrine. By the end of that year, lincoln had become a nationally known republican icon. Freeport doctrine 1858 declared that since slavery could not exist without laws to protect it, territorial legislatures, not the supreme court, would have the final say on the slavery question. The freeport doctrine was a concept that was devised by the u.
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