Omar Bennett
Stephen Arnold Douglas, born in Brandon, Vermont, in 1813, was a prominent national figure from his first election to the Senate in 1847 until his death in 1861. He was a leading political figure in the lead-up to the American Civil War and is best known for the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858. While he was a Democrat, he is known for his conservative ideas and his belief in popular sovereignty, which held that each territory should determine whether it entered the Union as a free or slave state. This belief, along with his sponsorship of the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, contributed to the sectional tensions that led to the Civil War. The question of whether Stephen Douglas belonged to the Constitutional Union Party is complex. While he was a Democrat, the Constitutional Union Party was formed by former Whigs and Know Nothings, and it is unclear if he formally joined this party. However, he did work with them to support the Union cause after the firing on Fort Sumter, and he rallied Northern Democrats to support President Lincoln.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Political Party | Democrat |
| Year of Birth | 1813 |
| Place of Birth | Brandon, Vermont |
| Height | 5'4" |
| Year of Death | 1861 |
| Political Ideology | Conservative |
| Political Nickname | "The Little Giant" |
| Political Beliefs | Strongly committed to the Constitution |
| Political Achievements | Compromise of 1850, Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 |
| Political Rivals | Abraham Lincoln, John C. Breckinridge |
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What You'll Learn
Stephen Douglas was a Democrat
Stephen Arnold Douglas, born in Brandon, Vermont, on April 23, 1813, was a prominent national figure from his first election to the Senate in 1847 until his death in 1861. He was known as ""the Little Giant"" because his political stature far exceeded his physical stature of five feet and four inches.
Douglas emerged as a nationally prominent spokesman for the Democratic Party. He is best known for the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858, where he championed what was known as "popular sovereignty". This was the position that held that the voters of each territory should determine whether it entered the Union as a free state or a slave state. Lincoln, on the other hand, opposed the extension of slavery to new states and territories under all circumstances. In the November 1858 election, the Republicans won more popular votes than the Democrats, but the state legislature voted to return Douglas to the Senate.
Douglas was one of four major candidates for the presidency in 1860, running on a Northern Democratic ticket, but he lost the election to his old rival, Abraham Lincoln. After Lincoln's victory, many in the South began making plans for secession. Douglas, however, returned to the Senate, where he sought to prevent a break-up of the United States. He supported the Crittenden Compromise, which called for a series of constitutional amendments that would enshrine the Missouri Compromise line in the constitution.
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He ran for president in 1860
Stephen A. Douglas, known as "the Little Giant", was a prominent national figure from his first election to the Senate in 1847 until his death in 1861. He was a Democrat, but he perpetuated modern-day conservative ideas.
In 1860, he ran for president, and was one of four major candidates for the presidency, running on a Northern Democratic ticket. The other candidates were Abraham Lincoln, John C. Breckinridge, and John Bell. Lincoln ran as the Republican nominee, Breckinridge was the candidate of the Southern Democrats, and Bell was the candidate of the new Constitutional Union Party.
Douglas was an active campaigner, travelling throughout the North and the South. In his speeches, he warned of the dangers of secession and urged his audiences to remain loyal to the United States. He was the most famous politician in the West, if not the whole country, and he achieved further prominence through a series of public debates with Lincoln between August and October 1858.
However, Douglas's break with the Southern Democrats just months before the election damaged his campaign. By the time of the Democrat National Convention in the spring of 1860, the divide between Northern and Southern Democrats had reached a breaking point, and the party was left without a candidate or a platform to run on. When the convention reconvened in Baltimore without the Southern delegates, a resolution was adopted that unanimously nominated Douglas for president.
Douglas received nearly 30% of the popular vote in the 1860 election, winning only 12 electoral votes from Missouri. Lincoln won the election, capturing less than 40% of the popular vote but securing a majority in the electoral college with 180 electoral votes.
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He supported the Crittenden Compromise
Stephen Arnold Douglas, known as "the Little Giant", was a prominent national figure from his first election to the Senate in 1847 until his death in 1861. He was a Democrat, but he perpetuated modern-day conservative ideas.
Following Lincoln's victory, many in the South began making plans for secession. Douglas returned to the Senate, where he sought to prevent a break-up of the United States. He joined a special committee of thirteen senators, led by John J. Crittenden, which sought a legislative solution to the growing sectional tensions between the North and South.
Douglas supported the Crittenden Compromise, which called for a series of constitutional amendments that would permanently enshrine slavery in the United States Constitution. This would make it unconstitutional for future Congresses to end slavery. The compromise was proposed on December 18, 1860, and was an attempt to resolve the secession crisis of 1860–1861 that eventually led to the American Civil War. It sought to address the fears and grievances of Southern pro-slavery factions and quash anti-slavery activities.
The Crittenden Compromise was popular among Southern members of the Senate, but it was generally unacceptable to the Republicans, who opposed the expansion of slavery beyond the states where it already existed. The opposition of their party's leader, President-elect Abraham Lincoln, was crucial. Lincoln opposed the compromise on the grounds that he was against any policy that permitted the continued expansion of slavery.
Ultimately, the Crittenden Compromise was defeated, and the South seceded, leading to the American Civil War.
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He was a spokesman for the Democratic Party
Stephen Arnold Douglas, born in Brandon, Vermont, in 1813, was a prominent national figure from his first election to the Senate in 1847 until his death in 1861. He was a spokesman for the Democratic Party, earning the nickname "the Little Giant" due to his short stature but towering political presence.
Douglas's political career was marked by his commitment to popular sovereignty and the Union. He believed that the voters of each territory should determine whether it entered the Union as a free state or a slave state, a position known as popular sovereignty. This belief led to his introduction of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which further divided the nation over the issue of slavery. While Douglas intended to promote expansion into western territories, the act had the unintended consequence of stoking violence and pushing the country towards the Civil War.
Douglas's complex political stance is evident in his association with both the Democratic Party and the Constitutional Union Party. While he is primarily identified as a Democrat, some sources suggest that he belonged to or aligned with the Constitutional Union Party. This party emerged from the conflict between the North and South, which fractured older parties. It advocated for adherence to the Constitution, the Union, and the laws of the United States, aiming to prevent the disruption caused by disagreements over slavery.
In the 1860 election, Douglas ran as a Northern Democrat, while Lincoln ran as the Republican nominee. The Democratic Party had already split, and the Southern Democrats supported John C. Breckinridge. Douglas's campaign warned of the dangers of secession, and he urged his audiences to remain loyal to the Union. Despite his efforts, Lincoln won the election, and Douglas returned to the Senate, where he continued to work towards preventing the break-up of the Union.
Douglas's political career and beliefs were shaped by his commitment to popular sovereignty and his interpretation of the Constitution. While his actions, such as the Kansas-Nebraska Act, unintentionally contributed to the Civil War, he consistently advocated for the Union and worked to find compromises that could hold the nation together.
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He was known as the Little Giant
Stephen Arnold Douglas, born in 1813, was an American politician who served as a senator from Illinois and ran for president as the Northern Democratic nominee in the 1860 election. He was nicknamed "the Little Giant" because, despite being only 5 feet 4 inches tall in stature, he was a dominant and forceful figure in politics.
Douglas first entered politics in Illinois, where he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1842. He served two terms in the House before being elected to the Senate in 1847, where he remained until his death in 1861. As a senator, Douglas played a key role in the passage of the Compromise of 1850, which sought to address the issue of extending slavery into the territories. He was a strong advocate of popular sovereignty, arguing that each territory should be allowed to determine whether to permit slavery within its borders.
Douglas's political stature grew significantly following the Compromise of 1850, and he became one of the most celebrated and dominant national political leaders. However, he later undid his own work by promoting the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, which further divided the nation over the issue of slavery and spurred the creation of the modern Republican Party. Despite this setback, Douglas remained a prominent figure in national politics and was one of four major candidates for the presidency in the 1860 election.
During the 1860 election, Douglas campaigned throughout the country, warning of the dangers of secession and urging his audiences to remain loyal to the Union. He received the most support of any candidate during the Democratic Party's convention but fell short of the necessary two-thirds majority. Despite his efforts, Douglas lost the election to his old rival, Abraham Lincoln, the Republican nominee. Following Lincoln's victory, Douglas put aside their differences and joined him in supporting the Union cause during the Civil War.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Stephen Douglas was a Democrat. However, he did perpetuate modern-day conservative ideas.
Stephen Douglas was a complex statesman and politician. He was committed to the Constitution as the ultimate law of the land and believed that the Constitution was the law of the land. He also believed in popular sovereignty, the idea that the voters of each territory should determine whether it entered the Union as a free state or a slave state.
Douglas's stance on slavery was that it was allowed by the Constitution of the United States. He believed that only a state, through its inhabitants and their elected legislatures, had the right to decide whether to allow slavery within its borders. He also introduced the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which further divided the nation over the issue of slavery.
Stephen Douglas is closely linked to the American Civil War. He was a leading political figure in the lead-up to the war and supported the Union cause. After the Battle of Fort Sumter, he put aside old rivalries and joined Lincoln, urging Americans to volunteer in defence of the Union.
