Lincoln, Politics, and Slavery Upbringing and early beliefs Raised on the frontier and grew up anti-slavery (_____________ but they are not equal) Lincoln worked on a boat moving farm produce to New Orleans and was sickened by his encounters with slavery Served in Illinois state legislature and denounced slavery Beliefs in Congress Entered Congress in 1847 as a Whig and supported the Wilmot Proviso that would have banned slavery in territory gained in the Mexican American War He believed Congress had the power to regulate slavery in the territories and Washington DC, but only states had the right to decided issues of slavery within their borders (not Congress) Proposed _________________________ emancipation for DC (paying owners to free their slaves) but it was rejected Lincoln and Douglas Entry and Debates Lincoln re-enters politics over disagreement with the Kansas-Nebraska Act (against popular sovereignty) Lincoln joins the Republican Party in 1856 (becomes the Republican nominee) and decides to challenge Stephen Douglas in the Senate election with his _______________ speech (US can’t be half slave/half free) viewed as a radical threat by slaveholders. – Lincoln-Douglas Debates: 7 debates focusing on the future of slavery Impact of the Debates Lincoln challenges Douglas’ popular sovereignty position in light of the Dred Scott decision Freeport Doctrine: voters could ____________ officials who would not enforce the Dred Scott ruling, thereby effectively banning slavery in the territories Douglas forces Lincoln to assert he was against racial equality Douglas wins re-election but loses the support of Southern Democrats for his position in the debates The Election of 1860 Conventions Democratic Party cannot agree on a candidate and split Southern Democrats: John Breckinridge
Lincoln, Politics, and Slavery Upbringing and early beliefs Raised on the frontier and grew up anti-slavery (_____________ but they are not equal) Lincoln worked on a boat moving farm produce to New Orleans and was sickened by his encounters with slavery Served in Illinois state legislature and denounced slavery Beliefs in Congress Entered Congress in 1847 as a Whig and supported the Wilmot Proviso that would have banned slavery in territory gained in the Mexican American War He believed Congress had the power to regulate slavery in the territories and Washington DC, but only states had the right to decided issues of slavery within their borders (not Congress) Proposed _________________________ emancipation for DC (paying owners to free their slaves) but it was rejected Lincoln and Douglas Entry and Debates Lincoln re-enters politics over disagreement with the Kansas-Nebraska Act (against popular sovereignty) Lincoln joins the Republican Party in 1856 (becomes the Republican nominee) and decides to challenge Stephen Douglas in the Senate election with his _______________ speech (US can’t be half slave/half free) – viewed as a radical threat by slaveholders. Lincoln-Douglas Debates: 7 debates focusing on the future of slavery Impact of the Debates Lincoln challenges Douglas’ popular sovereignty position in light of the Dred Scott decision Freeport Doctrine: voters could ____________ officials who would not enforce the Dred Scott ruling, thereby effectively banning slavery in the territories Douglas forces Lincoln to assert he was against racial equality Douglas wins re-election but loses the support of Southern Democrats for his position in the debates The Election of 1860 Conventions Democratic Party cannot agree on a candidate and split Southern Democrats: John Breckinridge