Lincoln-Douglas Debates

On the afternoon of September 15, 1858, at the Jonesboro fairgrounds, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas met as rival candidates for the United States Senatorship from Illinois in the third of their seven joint debates. On the principles set forth there, Lincoln lost the Senate election, but he gained national prominence and was elected President in 1860, served as Civil War President, and was re-elected in 1864. The debate cast a long shadow upon the pages of history.

Jonesboro, Illinois · United States