Lincoln's First Challenge of Douglas

WINCHESTER, ILLINOIS

LINCOLN'S FIRST CHALLENGE OF

DOUGLAS AND DESTINY

ABRAHAM LINCOLN FIRST PUBLICLY CHALLENGED U.S. SENATOR STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS'S

"NEBRASKA BILL" DURING A WHIG COUNTY CONVENTION AUGUST 20, 1854, IN THE SCOTT COUNTY

COURTROOM LOCATED AT THIS SITE. BECAUSE THE BILL ALLOWED FOR THE EXPANSION OF

SLAVERY, LINCOLN WAS SO "AROUSED" THAT HE RE-ENTERED POLITICS TO CHALLENGE IT AFTER

FIVE YEARS OF POLITICAL RETIREMENT. DRAFTED BY SENATOR DOUGLAS AND COINED POPULAR

SOVEREIGNTY, THE KANSAS/NEBRASKA ACT GAVE NEW TERRITORIES AND EMERGING STATES THE

RIGHT TO CHOOSE BY POPULAR BALLOT IF SLAVERY WAS TO BE PERMITTED OR BANNED. THE BILL

EFFECTIVELY CANCELED THE MISSOURI COMPROMISE, WHICH DURING THE PREVIOUS 34 YEARS

HAD ALLOWED LIMITED EXPANSION OF SLAVERY IN THE NATION. LINCOLN'S ANTI-NEBRASKA

SPEECHES AND HISTORIC 1858 DEBATES WITH DOUGLAS GAINED HIM NATIONAL POLITICAL

RECOGNITION. ALTHOUGH HE FAILED TWICE TO BECOME U.S. SENATOR, FIRST AS A WHIG AND SECOND

AS A REPUBLICAN. LINCOLN WAS ELECTED THE 16TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IN 1860.

CIVIL WAR CAME TO THE NATION IN 1861. AFTER THE CONFEDERATE DEFEAT AT ANTIETAM.

LINCOLN SIGNED THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION ON JANUARY 1, 1863, FREEING ALL SLAVES

IN REBELLIOUS STATES. HE SIGNED THE 13TH AMENDMENT, FEBRUARY 1, 1865. WHEN RATIFIED ON

DECEMBER 6 1865. THE LAW FREED 4 MILLION AFRICAN-AMERICAN SLAVES, MADE THE

KANSAS/NEBRASKA ACT MOOT, AND FOREVER BANNED SLAVERY. LINCOLN CONCLUDED HIS

"MASTERLY EFFORT". THAT DAY IN WINCHESTER WITH A PROFOUND PREDICTION ABOUT THE UNION

ONE HE REPEATED LATER IN PEORIA. "WE SHALL HAVE SO SAVED IT (FROM SLAVERY), THAT THE

MILLIONS OF FREE HAPPY PEOPLE, THE WORLD OVER. SHALL RISE UP, AND CALL US BLESSED TO

THE LATEST GENERATION."