Lincoln-Douglas Debates 1858 (dec 31, 1857 – jan 1, 1858)

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Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas debated the future of slavery in the territories during the Illinois Senate race. Douglas championed popular sovereignty, while Lincoln argued that the nation could not endure permanently half-slave and half-free ("A house divided against itself cannot stand").
These debates elevated Lincoln to national prominence and highlighted the deep divide over slavery’s future. They set the stage for Lincoln’s presidential campaign in 1860 and the ideological battle that would erupt into war.

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