Abraham Lincoln's Great Debates

The Lincoln–Douglas Debates of 1858 (also known as The Great Debates of 1858) were a series of seven debates between Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate for the United States Senate from Illinois, and incumbent Senator Stephen Douglas, the Democratic Party candidate. Historians have regarded the series of debates as among the most significant statements in American political history. The widespread coverage of the debates transformed Lincoln into a national figure and led to his election to the presidency in 1860.