What role did the Declaration of Independence play in the Lincoln – Douglas debates?
All through the debates, Lincoln reminded Senator Douglas-and his audience-that the Declaration guaranteed that “all men are created equal.” This included African Americans. Lincoln never let Douglas forget that slavery violated the promise of the Declaration. It was mentioned in every debate. Lincoln believed the Declaration was the holiest document in American history. In your opinion, what would have happened to the United States had Lincoln been elected over Douglas? This is a question I’ve never thought of before. But i don’t think history would have changed much. I expect Lincoln would still have run for President, still have won the nomination and the election. In fact, if he had been a Senator he might have had an even easier time getting the Republicans to back him. What role did the Dred Scott decision play in the debates? In its Dred Scott decision, the U. S. Supreme Court declared the black people could never be citizens of the United States. Lincoln was horrified at this r
