HIST up to 1877 DB6 - Essay Example

HIST up to 1877 DB6 Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas were involved in a series of debates over slavery issues during the 1850s. The two of them had different views on the issue of slavery and these facts be established in this short essay. Lincoln and Douglas argued over the expansion of slavery into the territories of Nebraska and Kansas. The two of them had different opinions on the Kansas-Nebraska act. Stephen Douglas believed that slavery could be made to enter some northern territories of the US, only if the residents of those territories supported it.

Lincoln on the other hand believed that slavery was a sin against humanity and contradicts the principles of the founding fathers. Lincoln believed that slavery should be completely eradicated. Thus, Douglas and Lincoln differed on their stance on slavery. The two political gladiators at that time were on opposing sides on the issue of slavery. Thus, it could be said that while Stephen Douglas supported slavery, Abraham Lincoln opposed slavery (Donald 89-92). While Abraham Lincoln was concerned with the moral effects of slavery, Stephen Douglas was not in any way concerned with the morality threat that the institution of slavery brought with it.

Douglas believed that the sovereignty of the people should be considered on the issue of slavery, this is the reason that he argued that slavery should be made to stand if the inhabitants of the region supported it. Lincoln believed that this was not an issue of popular sovereignty, but concerted efforts should be made to totally eradicate slavery. Thus, Lincoln differed from Douglas on the issue of slavery in the sense that, Lincoln opposed slavery, while Douglas lent a hand of support to the institutionalization of slavery in some states.

Work Cited Donald, David Herbert. Lincoln. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995. Print