Stephen Arnold Douglas was born in Brandon. Vermont in 1813. He left New England at the age of 20. and moved to Illinois. He was an of import factor in making the Illinois sector of the Democratic Party. He became progressively popular with southern husbandmans who had migrated north. He used his enthusiastic working ethic. and his talented speech production accomplishments to go elected to the House of Representatives in 1843. Because of his little stature. bulky figure. and flourishing voice. he was nicknamed the “Little Giant. ” Douglas was an devouring protagonist of westbound enlargement. and advocated the assimilation of Oregon. Texas. California. and the Mexican War ( 1846-1848 ) . He besides supported the edifice of the transcontinental railroad. Douglas was so elected to the Senate in 1846. remained there for the remainder of his life. and became profoundly involved in the North vs. South argument on bondage. He was afraid the state would be divided. Douglas felt that the population of a province should make up one’s mind if it has bondage or non. This is called popular sovereignty. Stephen helped Henry Clay pass the Compromise of 1850.
The Compromise admitted California as a Free State and gave Utah and New Mexico popular sovereignty. Douglas besides had other ideas on his head. “In 1854. Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois saw an chance to run for the presidential term. and he wanted the support of southern Democrats. The Democratic Party was peculiarly in favour of states’ rights and believed provinces should acquire to make up one’s mind for themselves the legality of bondage. ” ( American History – Part 1-The Nation Torn Apart ( 1844 – 1865 ) . Douglas created the Kansas-Nebraska Act. which basically stated that Kansas and Nebraska would vote on whether they become Slave States or non. The Act was passed by Congress. efficaciously revoking the Missouri Compromise of 1820. The Missouri Compromise stated that the latitude of 36° 30’ N determined whether a province was slave or free. South of the latitude line were Slave States. and North of the line were Free States.
Douglas gained popularity in South. but accidentally created the Republican Party. whose lone motivation was get rid ofing bondage. The Republicans were angry that the Kansas-Nebraska had been passed. and broken the Torahs of the Missouri Compromise. Republicans were quickly deriving endorsing from Northerners and emancipationists. They shortly had a Presidential Campaigner for the 1860 election. His name was Abraham Lincoln. Douglas’s old Nemesis from Illinois. Southern Democrats formed their ain party endorsing John Breckenridge. abandoning Douglas. He remained in the election and represented the northern Democrats.
The Constitutional Union Party selected John Bell as their campaigner. The Election came down to Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin and Douglas with John Herschel. At one point in the election they were at degree pegging. but finally Lincoln won both the Electoral and Popular ballots. This was. in its ain manner. retaliation for Lincoln against Douglas. Two old ages before the Presidential election. Douglas and Lincoln were running for the Senate. and Stephen defeated Lincoln. He remained a senator till his decease in 1861. After the election and the beginning of the war. Stephen continued to back up the North. Douglas deemed splintering faithless. and threw grim unfavorable judgment at the Confederacy. He died weary and tired from his efforts in 1861.
Beginnings:
World Wide Web. history. com-http: //www. history. com/topics/stephen-a-douglas
American History – Part 1-The Nation Torn Apart ( 1844 – 1865 ) -Causes for Separation. Page 12
World Wide Web. britannica. com-http: //www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/170192/Stephen-A-Douglas
