Jordan's Post #5: Finberg's concentric circles demonstrated in the 2nd Lincoln-Douglas Debate

            As stated in Nearby History: Exploring the Past Around You by Kyvig and Marty, local history does not exist in a vacuum. Local history topics are interconnected with a variety of other subjects that impact each other. Local history can also have an effect at a national level. Finberg argues that history often works as concentric circles; local history can exhibit a ripple effect and have a national impact. An example of this ripple effect occurred in the 2^nd Lincoln-Douglas Debate in Freeport, Illinois. On August 27, 1858, Abraham Lincoln debated Frederick Douglas in a battle for a U.S. Senate seat in Illinois. This debate was the 2^nd in a series of seven debates across the major voting sections of Illinois. The newspapers estimated that about 15,000 people showed up to witness the two men in contention for the U.S. Senate seat. The audience could participate by shouting questions and/or applauding during the debate. Lincoln opened the debate and spoke for an hour. Douglas followed with a speech that lasted an hour and a half and the debate was concluded with a half hour speech from Lincoln. The second debate is usually regarded as the most important of these debates because of its national importance. Douglas, during his hour and a half speech, responded to a question posed by Lincoln concerning the ability of citizens to determine slavery’s role in a new state. Douglas promoted the concept of popular sovereignty when he stated, “I answer emphatically, as Mr. Lincoln has heard me answer a hundred times from every stump in Illinois, that in my opinion the people of a Territory can, by lawful means, exclude slavery from their limits prior to the formation of a State Constitution.” This concept became known as the Freeport Doctrine because of the location of Douglas’ speech. The Freeport Doctrine was a major point of contention in the Democratic Party during the 1860 Presidential election. Many believe that this doctrine caused the split in the Democratic Party and resulted in Lincoln’s victory over Douglas and others in the 1860 Presidential election. Finberg’s concept of concentric circles is demonstrated in the Freeport Doctrine. The debate had local, statewide, and nationwide impacts. Freeport was and is a small town in Illinois. The Lincoln-Douglas debate is perhaps the greatest piece of local history that it continues to celebrate. The debate has become the go-to research topic from elementary school and upward and is commemorated in a series of displays and two statues of the speakers in a park near the town’s library. Although the second Lincoln-Douglas Debate is especially meaningful to the citizens of Freeport, the debate also demonstrated immense significance on a national level.

http://www.ushistory.org/us/32b.asp 

http://stephenson-county-il.org/directory/lincoln-douglas-debate-square/

http://www.ushistory.org/us/32b.asp