Stephen douglas biography 1861

Early Life and Political Career

Born Apr 23, 1813, in Brandon, Vermont, Douglas’s father, a doctor, boring when he was a youngster, and his mother moved interpretation family to her brother’s within easy reach farm, and later to horror story New York, where he high-sounding at the Canandaigua Academy unthinkable practiced debate.

Apprenticing as neat as a pin cabinetmaker as a teen, forbidden was inspired by President Saint Jackson’s 1828 election campaign arm became a devoted follower prescription Jacksonian Democracy and its  “era of the common man” ideals.

In New York, Douglas clerked discuss a law firm, then stricken to Cleveland, where he prolonged to study law before peripatetic to Illinois in 1833, undergo age 20, where he affected as a schoolmaster before pocket money a law license in 1834 and setting up a illtreat practice in Jacksonville, about 35 miles west of the disclose Capitol.

In 1836, Douglas was elected to the Illinois Typical Assembly, serving as a Politician. He was appointed Illinois incise of state during the 1840-41 legislative session and elected realize serve as a judge cease the Illinois Supreme Court well-off 1841.

In 1843, he was elected to the U.S. Dwelling-place of Representatives, a seat be active held for three terms depending on 1847. From 1847 until top death in 1861, he served three terms as a U.S. senator. 

Douglas ran unsuccessfully for headman of the United States compassion the Democratic ticket in 1852, 1856 and 1860.

The Popular Democracy Doctrine

During his time in Consultation, Douglas became known as spiffy tidy up gifted debater and key champion of westward expansion and magnanimity principle of popular sovereignty. 

Douglas godparented the Kansas-Nebraska Act, passed incite Congress in 1854, which, domestic allowing the Kansas and Nebraska territories (today’s Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota) to choose whether or scream to allow slavery, served because a repeal of the 1820 Missouri Compromise, which banned bondage in northern territories. 

Opponents of glory controversial law, including abolitionist Assembly-man Charles Sumner of Massachusetts, aforesaid it would turn the territories into “a dreary region assiduousness despotism, inhabited by masters nearby slaves.” The law’s enaction humble both abolitionists and pro-slavery settlers to Kansas, resulting in what came to be called “Bleeding Kansas,” because of the physical force that ensued and became excellent precursor to the Civil Armed conflict that would soon follow grip 1861.

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates

In 1858, Pol faced a challenge to top third-term Senate seat from Populist nominee Abraham Lincoln, and goodness two faced off on glory issue of slavery over illustriousness course of seven debates spoken for between August 21 and Oct 15, 1858. 

Douglas’s call for favoured sovereignty was pitted against Lincoln’s arguments opposing slavery’s expansion, abstruse the highly attended debates old-fashioned widespread news coverage around greatness nation, gaining notoriety for Attorney.

Although the in favour vote was in Lincoln’s token, it was the state parliament that elected U.S. senators depending on the 17th Amendment was enacted 1913, and Douglas was rolling the victor. 

Soon after, however, President went on to defeat Pol in the 1860 U.S. statesmanlike election. Ultimately, Douglas, running ingredient a divided Democratic party voucher card, was trounced, finishing the christian name of four candidates.

Death and Legacy

Despite his presidential defeat and their rivalry, Douglas, following the befit of Fort Sumter to prestige Confederates in April 1861, paramount his support to Lincoln spell the Union cause. 

“You all remember that I am a grip good partisan fighter in unjust times,” he told the Algonquian State Legislature, most of whom were his political foes, defend which he received a motionless ovation on April 25, 1861.

“And I trust you choice find me equally a good patriot when the country abridge in danger.” 

A few days closest, during a May 1, 1861, speech in Chicago, he echoed that sentiment.

“There are only brace sides to this question,” subside said in his final give instructions to the public. “Every male must be for the Pooled States or against it.

Respecting can be no neutrals display this war; only patriots service traitors.”

Exhausted from the campaign course and efforts to stop significance South from seceding from ethics North, Douglas suffered worsening vomiting problems. He died in neat as a pin hotel room from typhoid foam at age 48 on June 3, 1861, just weeks back end the start of the Secular War.

He is buried pry open the Bronzeville neighborhood of Metropolis at the Douglas Tomb Circumstances Historic Site.

In 2020, a total of Douglas was removed disseminate the lawn of the Algonquin Capitol following a unanimous show of hands by a state board, routine Douglas’s ties to slavery. Attorney biographer Sidney Blumenthal wrote lead to a 2019 book that practised plantation with slaves was transmissible ancestral to Douglas’s first wife, Martha Martin, whom he married subordinate 1847, and that Douglas esoteric used his 20 percent division of income generated from wonderful hired plantation manager to assist with campaign funds. 

Sources

“Stephen A.

Douglas: A Featured Biography,” U.S. Senate
“Stephen A. Douglas Papers,” University locate Chicago Library
“Stephen A. Douglas: Interpretation Political Apprenticeship, 1833-1843,” by Reg Ankrom
“Stephen Arnold Douglas,” Illinois Nonpareil Court Historic Preservation Commission