Stephen A. Douglas

Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln-Douglas Debate Square. , Born in Vermont in 1813, Stephen Arnold Douglas (he spelled his last name with two "s" at one time), came to Illinois in 1833 after having studied law in upstate New York. A strong believer in the political ideals of Andrew Jackson, Douglas was a prime mover in the establishment of the Democratic Party in Illinois. After holding several state-level offices and serving in the Illinois General Assembly, Douglas was elected to Congress in 1842 and then to the United States Senate in 1847. , A firm believer in the idea that the United States was destined to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans he eventually chaired the powerful House and Senate Committees on Territories. Douglas advocated for the building of a railroad to the Pacific coast, free land for anyone settling in the Western lands, and the development of territorial governments in those same lands. , When the issue of slavery became more and more a nationally divisive issue, Douglas argued for the idea of popular sovereignty, allowing the people of each territory to decide the issue of slavery for themselves. Fearful that the actions of the Abolitionists of the North and the Dis-Unionists of the South would impede Western settlement, or even worse, lead to the break-up of the Union, Douglas always sought compromises. , Standing a mere five feet four inches tall, his booming voice earned him the nickname "The Little Giant." Having served as a judge on the Illinois Supreme Court, Douglas was usually referred to by the title "Judge Douglas," or simply "The Judge." , Ironically, Douglas never owned slaves and refused to accept slaves that came as part of an inheritance from his wife's family. Nevertheless, he is generally viewed as a supporter of slavery because of his popular sovereignty stance. Regardless of his views on the issue of slavery, Douglas was not above using race as a lightening rod with which to attack Lincoln during their 1858 senatorial campaign.