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Today in History: Stephen Douglas Is Born
04/23/10
Stephen A. Douglas—known as the “Little Giant” for his small stature and enormous political influence—was born on April 23, 1813. Following a steady climb up the political ladder in Illinois during the 1830s, Douglas was elected to the U.S. Senate as a Democrat in 1846. He was largely responsible for the passage of the Compromise of 1850, which temporarily defused national tensions over slavery.
In 1858 Douglas successfully defended his Senate seat against a challenge from Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln. The spirited Lincoln-Douglas debates captivated the country and set the stage for the 1860 presidential race between the two candidates.
Read STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS’S FIRST SPEECH OF THE LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATES
Read the COMPROMISE OF 1850