Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln-Douglas Debate Square. , The two "articles" shown from the Freeport Weekly Bulletin, an openly Democratic newspaper, give some indication of the disdain in which some held Lincoln in 1858. Having opposed the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) while he was a member of the United States House of Representatives, Lincoln offered an inviting target when he was nominated by the newly formed Republican Party in Illinois for the United States Senate in 1858. , The second of the two articles also indicates, however, the division within the Illinois Democratic Party, as a splinter group had created the "National Democratic Party" to also oppose Douglas' re-election bid. , Abraham Lincoln's political career began after he had attained a law license and was subsequently elected to the Illinois General Assembly. His four terms in the General Assembly were followed by a single term in the United States House of Representatives. Returning to private law practice, Lincoln became a prosperous and skilled attorney. , The passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act brought Lincoln out of political retirement as he first challenged incumbent James Shields in 1856 for one of Illinois' seats in the United States Senate. Shields was a staunch supporter of Illinois' other Senator, Stephen A. Douglas. When a deadlock in the Illinois General Assembly over the election made it look likely that a pro-Douglas man would be elected to the seat, Lincoln threw his support to a fellow anti-Nebraska candidate, Lyman Trumbull. , Lincoln's willingness to sacrifice his own political ambition, in support of someone who also opposed the further spread of slavery, meant that Lincoln would be the leading contender to take on Douglas head to head in 1858 when Douglas came up for re-election. , As the nominee of the new Republican Party, Lincoln argued against slavery with an eloquence that had not been characteristic of his earlier political career.