Stephen A. Douglas

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Stephen Arnold Douglas (April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. He was a member of the Democratic Party and is best known for his advocacy of popular sovereignty, which held that the people of federal territories should decide for themselves whether their territories would enter the Union as free or slave states. Douglas was a prominent figure in the debates surrounding the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Lincoln-Douglas debates.

Early Life and Education

Stephen A. Douglas was born in Brandon, Vermont. He was educated at local schools and later attended Canandaigua Academy in New York. After moving to Illinois, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1834.

Political Career

Douglas began his political career in Illinois, serving as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1836 to 1837. He was then appointed as the Illinois Secretary of State in 1840 and served as an associate justice of the Illinois Supreme Court from 1841 to 1843.

U.S. House of Representatives

Douglas was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1843, where he served until 1847. During his tenure, he was a strong advocate for the annexation of Texas and supported the Mexican-American War.

U.S. Senate

In 1847, Douglas was elected to the United States Senate, where he served until his death in 1861. He was a key figure in the passage of the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise by allowing territories to decide the issue of slavery through popular sovereignty.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

In 1858, Douglas engaged in a series of debates with Abraham Lincoln during the Illinois Senate race. These debates, known as the Lincoln-Douglas debates, focused primarily on the issue of slavery and its expansion into the territories. Although Douglas won the Senate seat, the debates significantly raised Lincoln's national profile.

Presidential Campaigns

Douglas ran for president in the 1860 United States presidential election as the Northern Democratic candidate. He faced opposition from John C. Breckinridge, the Southern Democratic candidate, as well as John Bell of the Constitutional Union Party and Abraham Lincoln of the Republican Party. Douglas finished second in the popular vote but only secured 12 electoral votes, losing to Lincoln.

Death and Legacy

Stephen A. Douglas died on June 3, 1861, in Chicago, Illinois. He is remembered for his role in the debates over slavery and his advocacy of popular sovereignty. His contributions to American politics, particularly during the tumultuous years leading up to the American Civil War, remain significant.

Related Pages

• Abraham Lincoln
• Kansas-Nebraska Act
• Lincoln-Douglas debates
• Compromise of 1850
• Missouri Compromise
• Popular sovereignty
• Democratic Party (United States)
• United States Senate
• United States House of Representatives