Right Makes Might - The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858

The most famous debates in American history turned a little known Illinois lawyer into a presidential contender when Abraham Lincoln confronted slavery with the Declaration of Independence's idea that all men are created equal.
Also known as The Great Debates of 1858, the Lincoln-Douglas Debates put on display the two competing ideologies of the 19th century - majority rule versus equality for all. Through each three-hour debate, Lincoln argued against his opponent for an end to slavery, using the values espoused in the Declaration of Independence. As a one-term congressman with few political achievements, the debates thrust Lincoln into the national spotlight and gave him the opportunity to harness his newfound notoriety and launch his presidential campaign two years later. ‘Right Makes Might’ explores Lincoln’s journey during the debates, as well as their wider ramifications, which continue to affect American politics to this day.

[@drick2480]

I absolutely loved this. So educational. Thank you.

[@qweds3127]

Nice commentary, although it would have been better if excerpts from the debates were read out alongside the commentary.

[@DavidMendoza-np7vn]

Wow I’m glad I stayed and watched

[@qweds3127]

Criminally under viewed.

[@ktills]

Couldn’t agree more

[@oldcremona]

Seconded 🤚

[@jamesbowman7963]

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you....

[@mementomori8685]

why did they travel long way and long days spending time?

[@johngalt3940]

They were campaigning, they wanted the local people to vote 🗳️

[@Jeffrey-ly2wx]

lincoln doesn't really look like the real lincoln in this program

[@ToDDthaGod1973]

The war wasnt over the well being of Black people, it was over the economic advantage the South had as a result of slavery. Lincoln said himself if he could preserve the Union with slavery he would.

[@avenaoat]

1. UK began to diversify the raw cotton production in the World. Turkish historians published the British Consulates in the port cities in the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire began to give free of charge cotton seeds to the agricultural producers FROM 1858! India became Crown Colony in 1858 (after the North Indian revolt) and the British government began to increse the raw cotton production in India from 1858. Because the Civil War the diversification of the raw cotton was successful in 1864! New producers as Egypt, India, Ottoman (Turkish) Empire, Brasil and other countries produced much cotton. The South lost World market of the cotton. South became 1 raw cotton producer among the others.
2. I do not understand the Lost Cause people. The USA lost the 7 original Confederate States later 4 other states and without the 11 Confederate states the North could finance the Army and the EXTREM VERY EXPENSIVE NAVY without economial catastrophe and food shortage! Could the Lost Cause people why the North could finance the Civil War without SOUTH??????????? Morill tariff was import tariff and the majority of the tariff were gathered in the Northern portcities as New York, Boston, Philadelphia and other Northern port cities before 1860! THE CONFEDERACY INTRODUCED COTTON EXPORT TARIFF TO FINANCE THE WAR!
BTW the slaves were the fortune of the South not the production.
3. The USA Constitution says 3/4 of the states has to ratify a change in the Constitution. Because the Confederacy was considered traitor states so the 11 states lost any right for the slavery institute in the Constitution . Abraham Lincoln could announced the preemancipation in 1862. The fireeating Seccessionist wanted eternal slavery civilizátion in 1861 instead of this they got slavery abolution from the USA in 1865. Kentucky, Delaware, Missouri and Maryland lost the slavery system with the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Abolition of Slavery (January 1865), because the 4 slave system Northern states were 1/9 of 36 Northern States so 27 states were enough to the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Abolition of Slavery (1865). . West Virginia could be 35th states with promis to abolish the slavery in 1863!
BTW Abraham Lincoln announced the preemancipation after the battle of Antiatem the simple Btritish and French people became prounionists and they wanted not to help Slavery Civilization.
4. Between 1854-1860 the new Republican party wanted to be slavery system free the new future Western States as Kansas, Nebraska, Ideho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, South Dakota, Washington, Arizona, etc.. The Constitutional lawyer Abraham Lincoln and other Republican leaders knew the 3/4 of the States should have been any Constitution change. From April of 1861 to September of 1862 Lincoln hoped some slave system states (beside Kentucky, Delaware, Missouri and Maryland) would leave the Confederacy. End of 1862 the rebellum states (The Confederacy) made the possibility for abolution in the Confederacy.
For 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Abolition of Slavery (Janury 1865) was enough 27 states from the 36 Northern states.

[@melissasaint3283]

Your Argument is part of the pervading reframing of the Civil War called "the Lost Cause". The grandchildren of Confederate veterans worked together to form it and get it into textbooks, eventually nationwide.
If the question had merely been envy about the advantage of slavery, free states could have voted to go back to being slave states.
What's more, those free states were generally either not meteorologically capable of growing or not interested in trying to grow, the products that slavery overwhelmingly produced, like cotton.
Most damning to that argument:
Cheaper cotton benefited many of the free states, because they needed cotton to run their textile mills.
Slavery was quite a disadvantage within slave states....to working poor whites.
It lowered their chances of escaping poverty because it lowered the value of labor.
How could they sell their labor at a fair price when the wealthy men around them had people doing the same work for the cost of shabby room and board...people who could never quit?
The quote you mention is classically taken out of context in Lost Cause I fkuenced textbooks, including the one I had as a tenth grader. Fortunately I enjoyed reading history on my own time and knew the full quote:
If I can win the war by preserving slavery, he would. If he could win the war by destroying slavery, he would.
He certainly couldn't do anything about slavery in the future if he didn't win the war in the present.
Also ..do you now why he was assassinated?
Because of an impromptu speech he made in which he said that after the war, he wished to extend a pathway to full citizenship to freed slaves.
John Wilkes Booth was in the audience and was beyond outraged.
He had previously hoped to kidnap the president to exchange him for Confederate prisoners for war...
But the possibility of freed slaves who could learn to read being put on a possible path to citizenship changed his plan, and signed Lincoln's death certificate.

[@g0nt411]

Perhaps, but should look into what we can see and what happened, which was the end of slavery. We can always especulate but what's the point?

[@ToDDthaGod1973]

@g0nt411 what I stated was historical fact not speculation.

[@historyofnerdom6111]

@@ToDDthaGod1973nothing you said was fact 😂🤡