What was the name of the series of debates between Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in 1858?

The 1858 series of debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas was called the Lincoln-Douglas debates. The seven debates took place across Illinois during their campaigns for a U.S. Senate seat.

Lincoln was the Republican challenger, while Douglas was the Democratic incumbent. Their central issue was slavery, especially whether slavery should expand into territories and future states. Douglas defended “popular sovereignty,” the idea that settlers should decide the issue, while Lincoln opposed the expansion of slavery even though he did not initially call for immediate abolition where it already existed.

The debates were major public events, often held outdoors before thousands of spectators. Newspapers used shorthand reporters, railroads, and telegraph lines to circulate transcripts widely, helping make both men nationally famous. Douglas won the Senate election because Illinois legislators—not voters directly—selected senators at the time. Lincoln lost that contest but gained national prominence, which helped propel his 1860 presidential campaign.