On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1858, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas met in a series of public exchanges that later became known as the Lincoln-Douglas debates. What began as a Senate race in Illinois quickly drew national attention as the two men argued over slavery and the direction of the country. Soon, from New Orleans to New York, the previously unknown Lincoln’s name was on the lips of a nation teetering on the brink of civil war.

While Douglas won the election, the debates elevated Lincoln and positioned him as a leading voice in national politics. Acclaimed historian Allen Guelzo, author of Lincoln and Douglas: The Debates That Defined America, shares the story of how a backcountry lawyer took on one of the nation’s most powerful politicians and became, in his words, the nation’s greatest loser.

We’d like to thank the Bill of Rights Institute for allowing us access to this audio, originally part of their Scholar Talks series on YouTube.

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Why the Lincoln-Douglas Debates Made Abraham Lincoln a National Figure—Despite Losing