Ottawa in LaSalle County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The First Lincoln-Douglas Debate
May 11, 2013
1. The First Lincoln-Douglas Debate Marker
Inscription.
The First Lincoln-Douglas Debate. . On August 21, 1858, the first of seven debates between Abraham Lincoln and United States Senator Stephen A. Douglas took place in this park. Approximately 10,000 people gathered to hear the two candidates discuss the question of slavery in America. Candidate Lincoln rebuffed attempts to portray him as an abolitionist, one advocating the immediate emancipation of all slaves in the United States. Although Lincoln said he personally believed slavery was morally wrong, he maintained that the institution was protected by the Constitution. Senator Douglas, however, refused to address the morality of slavery. He insisted that the people in the individual states should be allowed to decide the question for themselves. Lincoln lost the election, but two years later he and Douglas were rivals again in the Presidential race. Two other Democratic candidates who favored slavery, John Bell and John C. Breckenridge, entered the race and took votes that probably would have gone to Douglas. His opposition fractured, Lincoln won a majority in the electoral college with a minority of the popular vote and became our 16th president.
On August 21, 1858, the first of seven debates between Abraham Lincoln and United States Senator Stephen A. Douglas took place in this park. Approximately 10,000 people gathered to hear the two candidates discuss the question of slavery in America. Candidate Lincoln rebuffed attempts to portray him as an abolitionist, one advocating the immediate emancipation of all slaves in the United States. Although Lincoln said he personally believed slavery was morally wrong, he maintained that the institution was protected by the Constitution. Senator Douglas, however, refused to address the morality of slavery. He insisted that the people in the individual states should be allowed to decide the question for themselves. Lincoln lost the election, but two years later he and Douglas were rivals again in the Presidential race. Two other Democratic candidates who favored slavery, John Bell and John C. Breckenridge, entered the race and took votes that probably would have gone to Douglas. His opposition fractured, Lincoln won a majority in the electoral college with a minority of the popular vote and became our 16th president.
Erected 2007 by LaSalle County Historical Society and the Illinois State Historical Society.
Location. 41° 20.967′ N, 88° 50.482′ W. Marker is in Ottawa, Illinois, in LaSalle County. It is on Columbus Street (Illinois Route 71) just south of Lafayette Street, on the right when traveling south. Located in Washington Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 E Lafayette St, Ottawa IL 61350, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Illinois and specifically in the Illinois River Valley. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 10, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 13, 2013. This page has been viewed 1,031 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on May 13, 2013. 2. submitted on October 10, 2022, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
