On Aug. 21, 1858 over 10,000 residents gathered in Washington Square Park in Ottawa to hear Abraham Lincoln and incumbent Senator Stephen Douglas debate as they ran against each other to represent Illinois in the U.S. Senate.
There were no seats and the crowd was so boisterous that the debate was delayed by half an hour.
This was the first of seven Lincoln-Douglas debates across Illinois. The two focused their discussion on slavery, the most divisive topic in politics at the time.
Prior to the ratification of the 17th Amendment in 1913, U.S. senators were elected by their state legislatures. Although residents could not vote for Lincoln or Douglas directly, they could vote for state legislators who would support their preferred candidate. The debates served as an opportunity for the candidates to reach residents in hopes of swaying their votes.
Douglas was ultimately re-elected to the U.S. Senate, but the debates garnered national attention that laid the groundwork for Lincoln’s successful 1860 presidential campaign. Lincoln’s strong performance proved he could stand his own while debating the nation’s most renowned debater of the time.
After the debates, Lincoln compiled, edited and published the debates in a book. The book would be used as a tool during his presidential campaign.
Today, Washington Square Park commemorates the debate with large statues of the two figures and a mural depicting the debate. The park is also home to the Reddick Mansion, the only building standing in the park that dates back to the debate. Learn more about Washington Square Park and Reddick Mansion here.
