Lincoln Douglass Debate Essay

Lincoln Douglas Debates

Rated as a worthy antagonist Douglas was that very antagonist for Lincoln during 1854-1861 (Johannsen, 1989). Many do not know that the debates were part of a larger campaign. These debates were designed to acheive cetain political abjectives, and these debates reflected of the politcal rhetoric of the time (History.com Staff, 2009). Douglas was in the Democratic Party where Lincoln was in the Republican Party, so you can imagine that their opinions differed greatly. They differed in not just opinion but political standing, their actual looks, and how they advanced up the political ladder so to speak.
Beginning in the 1830s, Mr. Lincoln faced off against Douglas in courtrooms, in the legislature, and in debate (Johansen, 1989). In the Late 1850’s Lincoln and Douglas had one of their famous debates on a wooden platform in Ottawa. This single debate attracted 10,000, which doubled the city population (Coalition, 2015 ). This debate would propel this suo to many more debates attracting crowd every time of the the same magnitude.

Douglas was more drawn to money then Lincoln was. Douglas made his money from real estate, where Lincoln stuck to the law (Johansen, 1989). There was a huge contrast in their physical looks also. Lincoln toward in height over Douglas, but this separation in height was small in comparison to their beliefs in slavery. Douglas pointed out frequently that many of the founding faters were slave holders, and each comunity should decide if htey were a free r slave state for themselfs( History.com Staff, 2009). Douglas as a devoted Jacksonian insisted that power in communities should be held at local levels and reflect the wishes of the people. Lincoln on the other hand beleived that these kinds of decisions hsould be decided at a govenmental level and hat hte opinion of hte people mattered little as long as the county and the masses benifited (History.com Staff,