ABRAHAM LINCOLN IN ILLINOIS

let us then turn this government back into the channel in which the framers of the Constitution originally placed it let us discard all this quibbling about this man and the other man this race and that race on the other race being inferior and unite as one people throughout this land until we shall once more stand up declaring that all men are created equal Abraham Lincoln hello I'm Kent Masterson Brown and welcome to in the declaration all men are created equal Abraham Lincoln in Illinois 1830 to 1860 Abraham Lincoln more has been written about him than any other American still few Americans know about Lincoln's resolved to become educated he used every opportunity to read history and great literature and he taught himself skills that would be useful in life in that process he developed a profound devotion to the history of his country and to its founders a devotion that turned the Declaration of Independence from a relic of the American Revolution into a living instrument that fundamentally formed the Creed America adopted that helped make all men and women free this is that story of Abraham Lincoln [Music] [Applause] [Music] in a one-room log cabin three miles south of Hodgenville Kentucky on a cold February 12th 1809 Abraham Lincoln was born to Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lincoln he was their second child the first Sarah was only one year old Thomas Lincoln relocated his little family to Knob Creek about nine miles north of Hodgenville in 1811 where he leased a small farm Abraham Lincoln was only two years old by 1816 the Lincoln's moved to what is now Spencer County Indiana Nancy Hanks Lincoln contracted a disease caused by cattle eating a poisonous white snakeroot and passing it along in their milk she died on October 5th 1818 and Thomas buried her remains not far from the Lincoln's cabin Abraham Lincoln was only nine years old after the death of Nancy Hanks Lincoln Thomas Lincoln returned to Kentucky often there he became reacquainted with the widow in Elizabethtown named Sarah Bush Johnston shown here in old age Thomas and Sarah were married in Elizabethtown Kentucky in December 18 nineteen fourteen months after the death of Nancy Hanks Lincoln [Music] Sara brought to the Lincoln's in Indiana a modest dowry along with her own three children even with eight people living in the Lincoln's cabin including a cousin Dennis Hanks she brought order out of chaos with his stepmothers help Abraham Lincoln learned to spell and write and he learned to read a skill he relished as he grew older young Lincoln traveled to near and distant neighbors looking for books to read parson Weems 'iz life of Washington pilgrims progress and grim Shaw's history of the United States were among those books that left a lasting impression on him most of all this King James Version of the Bible that belonged to the family became one of Abraham Lincoln's early windows into the English language it is a great piece of folly to attempt to make anything of my early life it can all be condensed into a single sentence and that sentence you will find in Ray's elegy the short and simple annals of the poor Abraham Lincoln after the death of his sister Sarah in January 1828 young Lincoln was hired by a man named James Gentry to help take a flat boat full of cargo down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans it was Lincoln's first glimpse of America's vastness and geographical diversity selling there Indiana farm in February 1832 --mess and Sarah Lincoln moved their family first to near Decatur Illinois and then to a place known as goose nests Prairie in Coles County Illinois building this cabin Abraham Lincoln however did not follow his family to Coles County instead along with his stepbrother John Johnston and a cousin John Hanks he planned to make another journey to New Orleans this time with goods that belonged to a Kentuckian named Denton Offutt who was then living in Springfield Illinois after building the flatboat Lincoln Johnston Hanks and Offutt guided it with its cargo down the Sangamon River they stopped and made repairs below the village of New Salem Illinois after their flat boat got caught on a mill dam off it vowed to Lincoln that he would return to New Salem lease the mill and open a general store he asked Lincoln if he would join him Lincoln agreed that was one of the most important decisions Abraham Lincoln ever made [Music] I was hoping I could stay here expect the 22 year old Lincoln returned to New Salem in late July 1831 ahead of Denton officers appearing to be older than his years Lincoln described himself then as a piece of floating driftwood New Salem was situated on a high bluff above the Sangamon River populated by 25 families it had a cooper cabinet maker blacksmith tavern two groceries or saloons a hatter two general stores and other businesses it had a post office too it even had two physicians most of the residents of New Salem were of the southern pioneer element hailing from Virginia South Carolina Kentucky and Tennessee some also had roots in New Jersey in New England and were well-educated New Salem was no ordinary pioneer settlement circuit writing preachers like the Methodist firebrand Peter Cartwright often visited New Salem Denton often opened his general store hiring Lincoln as his clerk Lincoln was given the back room in which to sleep not far from the office store was Clarys grocery or saloon that served as the meeting place for a group of youths known as the Clarys Grove boys trained to split rails Lincoln became physically tough and strong over the years from when I was seven till within my 23rd year I was almost constantly handling that most useful instrument the ax Abraham Lincoln I tell you right now my man Lincoln whom I saw - all the way to New Orleans in back can lick any man in the country Josh be on it I know on the frontier Braun accompanied by moral courage was essential to success which money putting on it $10 you got Lincoln was immediately challenged by the leader of the Clarys Grove boys Jack Armstrong to a wrestling match before a crowd of onlookers Lincoln and Armstrong wrestled until Lincoln pinned Armstrong's powerful shoulders to the ground thereafter Lincoln became known as the leader of the Clarys Grove boys although Lincoln proved his physical prowess to the residents of New Salem his real interest was in educating himself he likely studied English grammar using this book published by Samuel Kirkham in 1826 and given to Lincoln by a New Salem resident probably in 1832 mr. Graham I'd like your help with this book much of Lincoln's knowledge in grammar was self-taught but when he needed help he turned to a man named mentor Graham a local schoolmaster boy let me tell you Perkins is a good place to start after I was 23 and had separated myself from my father I studied English grammar him perfectly of course but to speak and write as well as I could Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln was also tutored by the Jagger Kelso and who introduced Lincoln to Shakespeare and Robert Burns study them in depth Thank You Jay I'll study and work someday my chance fulfilled I suppose that many Lincoln regularly attended the meetings of the New Salem debating society organized by James Rutledge and there he became familiar with new Salem's most influential individuals Lincoln gave his first public speech there never towering genius desde Lincoln rose to speak before the debate in society for the first time a perceptible smile at once lit up the faces of the audience for all anticipated the relation of some humorous story but he opened up the discussion in splendid styles to the infinite astonishment of his friends as he warmed to his subject his hands would forsake his pockets and would enforce his ideas by awkward gestures but would very soon seek their resting place he pursued the question with reason an arguments so pithy enforceable that all were amazed RB Rutledge New Salem [Music] at New Salem wrote historian Benjamin Thomas Lincoln found himself his New Salem years revealed the possibility of betterment and gave him some concept of his own capacity Lincoln believed that if he could succeed anywhere he could do it at New Salem encouraged by the support of his many new friends in New Salem Lincoln announced his candidacy for the Illinois State Legislature in 1832 whether he was only 23 years old he had lived in New Salem for only one year Lincoln chose to run as a Whig he admired the great wig Henry Clay of Kentucky likely because of Lincoln's own Kentucky roots many of the people living in central Illinois however were Democrats and followers of Andrew Jackson of Tennessee the favorite of the people of the frontier the Sangamo Journal newspaper a Whig party publication in Springfield Illinois published Lincoln's platform on March 9th 1832 Lincoln like Henry Clay supported internal improvements especially the opening up of the Sangamon River to navigation Lincoln's most interesting plank in his platform published that day however was education every man should have sufficient education to enable him to read the history of his own and of other countries by which he may dually appreciate the value of our free institutions to say nothing of the advantages and satisfaction to be derived from all being able to read the scriptures and other works both of a religious and moral nature for themselves Abraham Lincoln to Abraham Lincoln the key to the public policy he advocated as a 23 year old candidate for the state legislature was education and the importance of education was for people to learn and understand the history of our country and of other countries so he or she in Lincoln's words can appreciate the value of our own free institutions Lincoln's political campaign was soon interrupted by war blackhawk the war chief of a Sauk and Fox Indians we crossed the Mississippi River with 500 mounted and armed warriors and entered northern Illinois in April 1832 panic spread across the frontier Illinois Governor John Reynolds called for volunteers when the governor's call reached New Salem Lincoln was out of a job Denton Offit had given up being a merchant his store recalled Lincoln later was about to wink out Lincoln enlisted in the militia [Music] Lincoln's company consisted of many of his friends including a large number of the Clarys Grove boys Lincoln was promptly elected captain of the company an honor he recalled years later as the most satisfying of his life Lincoln's company chased Blackhawk but never confronted his Indian force [Music] time and experience have very Lincoln returned to New Salem to finish his campaign for the state legislature at the election being only two weeks away he was observed by a prominent lawyer from Springfield Stephen T Logan at a campaign event he was very tall and Gaulke and a rough looking fella then but after he began speaking I became very much interested in he made a very sensible speech I knew nothing about his avocation or calling at New Salem but one thing we very soon learned was that he was immensely popular fellow citizens I thank you for your attention in the election of 1832 he made a considerable impression upon me as well as upon other people Stephen T Logan Springfield Lincoln lost the 1832 election but he learned a great deal about himself in the people of central Illinois in New Salem Lincoln polled 277 of the 300 votes cast now out of a job Lincoln was offered the opportunity to become a partner in a general store in New Salem owned by Rowan Herndon and William F berry in early 1833 Herndon sold his interest to Lincoln's of them Sen gave him a note for Herndon's entire share of the business berry it turned out was an alcoholic brothers and sisters Lincoln discovered that selling dry goods and whiskey was not his calling he spent his time telling humorous stories to friends and reading the store failed [Laughter] indebted and unemployed again Lincoln recalled that he was reduced to the elemental of securing bread to keep body and soul together he blamed no one but himself instead he remained in New Salem resolving to meet his obligations lincoln's fortunes brightened in May 1833 when he was appointed postmaster as postmaster Lincoln received all the newspapers that came to New Salem he fell into the habit of reading all of the newspapers from cover to cover a habit he maintained throughout the rest of his life Thank You mr. Lincoln you're welcome to supplement his limited income as postmaster Lincoln split rails helped farmers harvest their crops tended a store and became the local agent for the Sangamo Journal newspaper he even served as an election clerk mr. Graham I've come to you for help again after you help me with in late 1833 Lincoln got a job as the deputy to the county surveyor even though he knew nothing of surveying enlisting the help of mentor Graham he obtained copies of Gibson's theory and practice of surveying and Flint's treatise on geometry trigonometry and rectangular surveying and began studying them with Graham's help Lincoln mastered the art of surveying by years in Lincoln bought a horse saddled and bridled obtained a compass and chain on credit and was equipped to start his work as deputy surveyor Lincoln was known to have surveyed the nearby towns of Petersburg Bath New Boston Albany and Huron Illinois as well as roads in the area that still cross over that country [Music] the nation however was on the brink of another Great Depression and creditors wanted their money Lincoln claimed that what he taught us was the national debt like many others Lincoln wound up being named a defendant in civil actions in the Sangamon Circuit Court where judgments were entered against him on the debts owed as a result Lincoln's horse saddle bridle and surveying instruments were ordered to be sold at a court auction knowing Lincoln would be deprived of his only means of making a living his New Salem neighbor bill green turned in his own horse to satisfy one of the judgments an Uncle Jimmy short of New Salem bid on the surveying instruments satisfying another judgment and then returned them to Lincoln evidence of how much Lincoln had endeared himself to the people of New Salem on April 19th 1834 Lincoln's name appeared in the Sangamo journal as a Whig candidate for the state legislature once again the Democrats even backed him this time it was said purely out of personal regard for him it was during Lincoln's second race for the state legislature that John Todd Stewart a fellow native Kentuckian Whig candidate for the legislature and a prominent lawyer in Springfield encouraged him to study law on August 4th 1834 Lincoln was elected easily he thereupon decided to study law he borrowed books from Stewart and in Lincoln's words went at it in great earnest he began reading chitti's treatise on pleading and Greenleaf's treatise on the law of evidence among others Lincoln used to come to our office John Todd Stewart's in mind in Springfield from New Salem and borrow books sometimes he walked but generally rode he was the most uncouth looking young man I ever saw he seemed to have but little to say seem to feel timid with a tinge of sadness visible in the countenance but when he did talk all this disappeared for the time and he demonstrated that he was both strong and acute he surprised us more and more at every visit achieved Ummah Springfield Illinois him for some time Lincoln boarded at the Rutledge Tavern in New Salem there he became acquainted with James Rutledge's daughter and a young girl of 19 she was betrothed to a man named John McNeil of New York who arrived at New Salem in 1829 he was the partner in the hill general store McNeil unexpectedly told Anne that he had to leave for New York months past his absence became extended it was then discovered that McNeil's name was actually McNamara and it became apparent that his love for Anne had never been sincere the Rutledge's moved to Sand Ridge seven miles north of New Salem and Lincoln would trek across country to see an Lincoln and an it was said became engaged once he actually entered the practice of law they would be married in a tragic turn of events and died suddenly after a short illness in the summer of 1835 I am why Lincoln now suffered the death of yet another significant woman in his life in December 1835 Lincoln paused his law studies to attend a special session of the House of Representatives in the town of Vandalia Illinois then the State Capitol Lincoln thoroughly reveled in the experience he claimed later that he never learned more in his life than he did as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives returning to New Salem at the conclusion of the legislative session Lincoln began again his law studies years later he gave advice to an aspiring lawyer it's good advice for any student if you are resolutely determined to make a lawyer of yourself the thing is more than half done already get the books and read and study them till you understand them in their principal features and that is the main thing always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing Abraham Lincoln he announced his candidacy for re-election to the Illinois House of Representatives in June 1836 in Sangamon County the whole Whig ticket was elected Lincoln leading all of the candidates of the nine House and Senate Whig candidates elected since iseman County nearly all like Lincoln or six feet tall or more they became known as the long nine races on September 9th 1836 Lincoln was given a license to practice law in Illinois after taking an oral examination before Bar Examiners the clerk of the Supreme Court of Illinois formally enrolled Lincoln's name as an attorney at law in Illinois back in the legislature Lincoln in the long nine spearheaded a drive to move the capital from Vandalia to Springfield even though Vandalia had just begun the construction of a new Capitol building Springfield was ultimately selected as the new State Capitol then in a series of resolutions recommended by a joint committee of the House and Senate abolition of slavery was condemned the committee claiming the Constitution protected property and that slaves were in fact property the resolutions further asserted that the federal government had no right to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia there were many people living in central and southern Illinois who were natives of the Carolinas Virginia Tennessee and particularly Kentucky and although they were not slave owners they disliked abolition agitation and many of them opposed slavery and favored some form of emancipation three days before the legislative session ended lincoln formally protested their resolutions claiming slavery to be founded upon both injustice and bad policy a radical position for a politician from central Illinois he claimed though that the proponents of abolition only made the evils of slavery worse reflecting the general attitude of the people of central Illinois he then asserted that the Constitution protected slavery in the states where it existed but he argued that Congress had the power to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia if the people of the district requested Congress to act it was Lincoln's halting first step into the bitterly contentious issue of slavery in America it would certainly not be his last [Music] Abraham finally on April 15 1837 Lincoln left New Salem for Glenn words thank you for those kind words god bless y'all it must have been a melancholy moment for him knowing how much the people of New Salem had done for him and how much he loved and respected them he rode to Springfield taking up lodging rent-free in a store operated by Joshua speed of Louisville Kentucky who had become Lincoln's dearest friend on that same day the Sangamo Journal published on its front page and advertisement that read JT Stewart and a Lincoln attorneys and counselors at law will practice conjointly in the courts of this judicial Lincoln and Stewart began their law practice together Lincoln was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives for the fourth time in 1840 in that year he met John Todd Stewart's first cousin Mary Todd polished and well-educated young lady who had journeyed to Springfield from Lexington Kentucky in 1837 to visit her sister Elizabeth the wife of Kentucky native Ninian W Edwards in 1839 Mary Todd had returned to Springfield to live with the Edwards Abraham Lincoln had had a brief courtship with a woman a Kentucky native named Mary Owens just before he moved to Springfield a courtship he was more than happy to conclude it seems Mary Owens was as pleased as Lincoln that the relationship ended following his courtship of the late and Rutledge and his experience with Mary Owens Lincoln was uncertain about his prospects for marriage Mary Todd somehow made it immediate and deep impression on him Lincoln and Mary Todd fell in love they plan to be married on January 1st 1841 abruptly however Mary Todd released Lincoln from the engagement after he voiced his deep depression in despondency a condition that had plagued Lincoln from his youth they undoubtedly left open the possibility of reuniting Lincoln wrote to his law partner John Todd Stewart who had been elected to Congress I am now the most miserable man living if what I feel were equally distributed to the old human family there would not be one cheerful face on the earth Abraham Lincoln nevertheless on November 4th 1842 Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd were married in the parlor of the Edwards home in Springfield the couple first lived in the globe hotel in Springfield there on August 1st 1843 their first child was born named Robert Todd Lincoln for Mary's father they would have three more sons Edward Eddie Baker shown here William Wallace and Thomas shown here with their uncle Thomas was named for Lincoln's father and nicknamed Ted because Lincoln claimed he looked like a tadpole when he was born sadly Eddie would die at the age of four probably of tuberculosis [Music] the Lincoln's acquired a 1 in 1/2 story clobbered house on the corner of 8th and Jackson streets in Springfield in 1844 by 1856 they would increase the height of the house to two stories they are within walking distance of Lincoln's law office the courts in the State Capitol they lived and raised their children by the time Lincoln and Mary Todd were married Lincoln had dissolved his law partnership with John Todd Stewart he had entered into a partnership with another Kentucky native Stephen trig Logan a leading member of the bar by December 1844 the partnership with Logan ended however and Lincoln opened his own law office he brought into his practice a young Kentuckian who had just been licensed to practice law William H Herndon Herndon would practice law with Lincoln for the next 16 years until Lincoln was elected president of the United States in 1860 [Music] married and raising a family Lincoln said about practicing law in earnest where Lincoln practice law was for the most part in what was called the 8th Judicial Circuit comprised of circuit courts in 14 central Illinois counties organized into a circuit by the Illinois State Legislature in 1839 the circuit extended from the Illinois River all the way to the Indiana border and to ride that circuit from one County to the other was a lengthy journey of nearly 500 miles every spring and fall the one circuit judge of the 8th Judicial Circuit and the lawyers traveled from one county seat to the other to try cases for people in those counties who would engage the lawyers as they arrived at each courthouse they stayed overnight in taverns and inns where two or three lawyers for one of space slept in the same bed or on the floor the itinerant lawyers in the circuit judge started in Springfield it's the county seat of Sangamon County where for a period of days set by the court known as a term cases were heard Abraham Lincoln a Springfield and for the record who is here from Springfield the group then rode two Tazewell County where cases were tried in the courthouse in Tremont 50 miles north of Springfield by 1850 the county seat of Tazewell County was moved to the town of Pekin the lawyers and Circuit Judge traveled to the town of Metamora in Woodford County 30 miles north of Tremont trying cases in a courthouse that still stands they then rode to Bloomington the county seat of McLean County were stood a two-story courthouse designed like a coffee mill from McLean County the entourage wrote 35 miles south to Logan County cases were first tried in this frame courthouse in Postville by 1846 however court sessions were held in this brick courthouse in Mount Pulaski that is still there the lawyers and Circuit Judge stayed in hostelries like the Mount Pulaski House the circuit judge and lawyers rode to do wit County and the town of Clinton 23 miles from Mount Pulaski to try cases and from there they rode to Monticello the county seat of PIAT County the judge and lawyers then journeyed 25 miles to the town of Urbana the county seat of Champaign County at the conclusion of the term of the Champaign Circuit Court the entourage traveled to Danville the county seat of Vermillion County on the Indiana border where they crowded into the mccormick house to lodge as they tried cases in the Vermillion Circuit Court from Danville the circuit riders rode south about 35 miles to Paris the county seat of Edgar County where they tried cases in this notable coffee mill courthouse the traveling lawyers in Circuit Judge then rode 65 miles southwest through Coles County where Lincoln's father and stepmother had settled to Shelbyville the county seat of Shelby County the lawyers and judge then saddled up and rode northeast to the town of Sullivan the county seat of Moultrie County the entourage then rode Northwest to Decatur the county seat of Macon County were Lincoln's parents first attempted to settle in Illinois the judge and lawyers then rode West than South to Taylorville the county seat of Christian County there they tried cases in this imposing courthouse [Music] finally the judge and lawyers headed north back to Springfield it was an extraordinary and exhausting journey spanning over three months two more counties were included in the 8th Judicial Circuit Menard and Mason both north of Springfield Menard County was in the circuit from 1839 until 1847 Mason from 1841 to 1845 the Menard Circuit Court sat in the county seat Petersburg a town that fundamentally replaced New Salem which by the mid 1840s had ceased to exist many of the former residents of New Salem provided Lincoln with a sizeable number of cases while Menard County was in the 8th Judicial Circuit and even after it was there also was an unmarried woman and by his words from 1848 to 1860 12 long years Lincoln rode the 8th Judicial Circuit with David Davis a well-educated man who lived with his wife Sarah and children in Bloomington Illinois he became Circuit Judge in 18-49 Lincoln met Davis while a young legislator in 1836 god save the state of Illinois in this honorable Court Abraham Lincoln for John sturgeon the defendant proceeded mr. Lincoln thank you your honor the two became the closest of friends over those many years an unmarried woman cannot commit adultery judgment notwithstanding the verdict must be entered in this case the motion is denied thank you gentlemen on that circuit Lincoln met an extraordinary number of people and he befriended lawyers and civic leaders in every one of the towns where he practiced law some counties retained him as their County Attorney others hired him as counsel for special cases Lincoln was a careful Pleader his handwritten pleadings motions in memoranda reveal a thoughtful and skillful lawyer his examination of witnesses and arguments to courts and juries whereas thorough and convincing as any heard on the circuit all this expanded the awareness of people throughout central Illinois of who he was in one of those counties the citizens even named a town for him people who came to know Lincoln liked him his attorney fees were modest and he was considered a man of integrity Lincoln rode the 8th Judicial Circuit for nearly 20 years there is where he became known far and wide for his wit his perspicacity his eloquence his firmness and his elegant turn of phrase when Lincoln's great friend and the one for whom Lincoln named his second child Edward Baker decided not to run for re-election to Congress as the Whig candidate from the seventh congressional district of Illinois Lincoln's interest in politics was rekindled Lincoln still had to confront Kentucky native John J Hardin a lawyer in Jacksonville for the Whig nomination harden stepped aside in February 1846 however and Lincoln was nominated as the Whig candidate for Congress at a convention in May at Petersburg Illinois Lincoln won the general election defeating his rival the Methodist preacher he had known during his New Salem days Peter Cartwright the 30th Congress convened in December 1846 it did so with a war with Mexico raging below the nation's southern border but with Edward D Baker and John J Hardin commanded Illinois regiments in the conflict at Buena Vista in February 1847 general Zachary Taylor won a notable victory but Hardin was killed there by September 1847 General Winfield Scott commanding a large American Army had fought his way from Veracruz to Mexico City echoing the concerns voiced by Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky Lincoln had doubts about the justness of the war Clay's oldest son Colonel Henry Clay jr. had been killed at the Battle of Buena Vista leading a Kentucky regiment in Illinois as in Kentucky the populations largely supported the war and eagerly supplied large numbers of troops early in Lincoln's first session in Congress in 1847 President James Cape Hulk sent a message to Congress asserting that Mexico had started the war by shedding the blood of Americans on American soil then a resolution was introduced declaring the war just unnecessary Lincoln and most of the Whigs voted to defeat the resolution and the resolution failed then Lincoln introduced a series of resolutions of his own on December 22nd 1847 shown here in Lincoln's handwriting demanding that President Polk admit that Mexico not the United States had jurisdiction over the spot where the first blood was drawn as a result of his stand on the justness of the Mexican War Lincoln was vilified by Democrats all over central Illinois he became known as spotty Lincoln in Democrats claimed he would die politically of spotted fever Lincoln attended the Whig national convention in Philadelphia in June 1848 where his party nominated general Zachary Taylor the hero of the battle of Buena Vista as its candidate for president of the United States after working for Taylor's election Lincoln resumed practicing law with William Herndon believing his political future was gone he had taken a position against the war with Mexico that was totally at odds with most of the people in central Illinois Lincoln's only term in Congress came to an end in March 18-49 indeed he did not seek reelection moreover the Whig candidate for Congress Lincoln's former law partner Stephen T Logan went down in defeat as a result of the Mexican War the United States acquired the territories of New Mexico and Utah which included the present states of Arizona New Mexico Utah Nevada a section of Colorado and the territory of California but that new territory brought with it a problem almost as old as the Republic with the new states carved out of those territories be slave states or free states conflict between the southern slave states and northern free states over the admission of new states into the Union had been avoided by a compromise once before in 1820 a measure cobbled together by Henry Clay allowing Missouri to enter the union as a slave state and Maine to enter the Union as a free state and importantly establishing the 36 degree 30-minute parallel which was the southern border of Missouri as the line of demarcation between slave and free states for all future western states seeking to enter the Union the petition of California to enter the Union in 1850 as a free state triggered a national crisis as the Missouri Compromise line cut through California once again the aging and ill Henry Clay Lincoln's bow ideal of a statesman managed to usher a compromise through Congress in 1850 in that compromise California was admitted as a free state the territories of New Mexico were organized without reference to slavery the determination would be left to the people when they petition for statehood the claim of Texas to the eastern boundary of New Mexico was renounced in exchange for Congress paying it 10 million dollars and the slave trade was abolished in the District of Columbia among those who joined Clay in advancing the compromise was the eloquent Senator Daniel Webster of Massachusetts and a rising young Democrat senator from Illinois named Steven a Douglas who though born in Vermont had moved to Illinois from New York at the age of 20 served with Lincoln in the Illinois State Legislature and had risen to become a justice on the Illinois Supreme Court before being elected to the United States Senate [Music] Lincoln was immersed in his law practice but he followed the news carefully he read of another territorial feud brewing in the congressional session of 1852 in 1853 to admit the state's carved out of the territory of Nebraska all of which were north of the Missouri Compromise line what made that issue problematic were the designs of Senator Douglas of Illinois Douglas backed the construction of a Transcontinental Railroad that would coerce its way through the Nebraska territory on its way to the Pacific coast he advocated Chicago as the railroads eastern terminus but he was concerned about a rival proposal that would run across a more southern route I don't understand the consternation it's exactly like the compromise of 1850 we need transportation from one side of our nation all the way to the other although the Nebraska territory was made up of land north of the Missouri Compromise line legislation was reported out of Douglass's Committee on territories that would repeal the Missouri Compromise allowing instead the popular vote of the people in the Nebraska territory to determine whether their states would be slave or free Douglas it seems hope to win the votes of southern members of Congress for the Transcontinental Railroad he favored through the Nebraska territory Douglas had no moral objection to slavery to him slavery was a matter to be decided by the white people of the territory nothing more nothing less when Douglas introduced the kansas-nebraska bill in the Senate a national firestorm erupted but he tirelessly labored for the bill's passage nevertheless he secured its passage in the Senate in early March 1854 eleven weeks later it passed the House reading about Douglass's actions in the passage of the kansas-nebraska act lincoln became alarmed as he had done many times before in his life Lincoln began to study in the state library in the Capitol he pored over the recent debates in Congress the history of the Declaration of Independence in the Constitution and began to formulate a response to Douglass's actions in the meantime he traveled around central Illinois speaking on behalf of Richard Yates of Jacksonville the Whig member of Congress from Lincoln's district and an opponent of Douglass's kansas-nebraska act Lincoln and Stephen T Logan both agreed to run for the Illinois State Legislature to Lincoln the Declaration of Independence was the ultimate American Creed America's formal statement of belief Lincoln once said I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence penned by Thomas Jefferson of Virginia and introduced into the Second Continental Congress by Jefferson John Adams of Massachusetts Roger Sharman of Connecticut Robert Carr Livingston of New York and Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania the Declaration was unanimously adopted by the Congress on July 4th 1776 as the colonies braced themselves for total war with the most powerful nation on earth Great Britain the Declaration included in its opening substantive paragraph these words we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness and that to secure these rights governments are instituted among men deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed in the summer of 1854 Douglas returned to Illinois and spoke before 8,000 people in Market House square in Chicago has seen in this rare photograph of the event he then traveled to Springfield to speak at the State Fair on October 3rd 1854 after rejecting a debate with Lincoln in Bloomington only days before rain caused Douglass's speech to be held in the chamber of the House of Representatives in the old state capitol Douglass's speech was a ringing defense of his actions and a castigation of Free Soilers and abolitionists the Whigs voted for this principle of popular sovereignty three years since not every Whig says the object was to legislate slavery in but the Nebraska bill says emphatically that it does not and therefore when they assert it they either have not read the bill or they willfully assert a falsehood and yet they burn in effigy and get up mobs and incite - insurrection not daring to publish the bill yet they dare not meet it this is a simple matter and easily settled shall the people of the territories determine their local affairs for themselves we say that they shall our opponents that they shall not how is it that the abolitionists are so fond of congressional interference it is of late occurrence suddenly and without reason how is it with wigger ii now they have changed their names and now call themselves Republicans honest men rarely have need to change their names [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh [Applause] rising to respond to Douglas in the house chamber the next day was Lincoln who spoke as a member of the Whig party not the fledgling Republican Party it was intensely hot Lincoln was in his shirtsleeves without a tie this declared indifference but as I must think covert real zeal for the spread of slavery I cannot but hate I hate it because of the monstrous injustice of slavery itself I hate it because it deprives our Republican example of its just influence in the world enables the enemies of free institutions with plausibility to taunt us as hypocrites causes the real friends of freedom to doubt our sincerity and especially because it forces so many really good men amongst ourselves into an open war with the very fundamental principles of civil liberty criticizing the Declaration of Independence and insisting there is no right principle of action but self-interest then he finished when the white man governs himself that is self-government but when he governs himself and also governs another man that is more than self government that is despotism if the Negro is a man why then my ancient faith teaches me that all men are created equal and that there can be no moral right in connection with one man making a slave of another blinkin though set a high tone to his remarks he had no animus for the people in the slave-owning states they are just what we would be in their situation he said they were no more responsible for slavery's existence than the people in the north Lincoln was becoming one of the most popular Whigs in Illinois he and judge Logan were elected to the state legislature Lincoln though resigned from his seat in the Illinois House of Representatives in order to be eligible in 1855 to run for the United States Senate he challenged several other candidates one of whom was Lyman Trumbull an Alton Illinois lawyer former state legislator former Secretary of State and a former justice on the Illinois Supreme Court Trimble had previously been elected to Congress as an anti Nebraska Democrat then United States senators were elected by the state legislatures in the state capitol in Springfield the vote was taken on February 8 1855 it took three ballots and in the end Trumbull was elected after Lincoln directed his supporters to vote for Trumbull when it became apparent Lincoln would not prevail although disappointed with the elections result Lincoln wrote to a friend I could not let the whole political results go to ruin on a point merely personal to myself Lincoln once again turned to his law practice but he remained vitally interested in politics he followed the news particularly the terrible situation in Kansas where Free Soilers were battling pro-slavery settlers the sad outcome of senator Douglass's ill-conceived kansas-nebraska Act there was one outrage after another and wood had become a civil war in that state Lincoln correspondent with his longtime friend Joshua speed in Kentucky who admitted that slavery was wrong but at the same time vowed he would fight to defend his legal right to his slaves Lincoln wrote to speed as a nation we began by declaring that all men are created equal we now practically read it all men are created equal except Negroes when the know-nothings the anti-immigrant political party get control it will read all men are created equal except Negroes and foreigners and Catholics when it comes to this I should prefer immigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty Abraham Lincoln meanwhile Lincoln helped organize a convention in Bloomington to unify the anti Nebraska factions of Whigs and Democrats to be held in May 1856 in the midst of a presidential election year events across the country were alarming in Kansas there was bloodshed over the slave question in Congress a South Carolina congressman Preston Brooks nearly beat to death Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts on the Senate floor Brooks using his cane when the Bloomington convention convened Lincoln noticed anti Nebraska Democrat Norman B Judd of Chicago enter the hall Lincoln liked and respected Judd Lincoln was heard to say that's the best sign yet Judd had come over to the new Republican Party although the Republican Party had a start in a meeting in Ripon Wisconsin in February 1854 and a Republican Party in Illinois at its beginnings a month later many anti Nebraska Whigs and Democrats shunned it at Bloomington however the Republican Party in Illinois was reborn and Lincoln delivered there one of his most fiery speeches condemning Douglass's kansas-nebraska act days after the Bloomington convention the Democrats held their National Party convention in Cincinnati there they nominated James Buchanan of Pennsylvania as their presidential candidate and 35 year old John cobbled Breckinridge of Lexington Kentucky as their vice presidential candidate Breckinridge was not only a close friend of Mary Todd Lincoln he was the cousin of her stepmother and her half siblings the Republican Party meeting in Philadelphia in June 1856 nominated John C Fremont as its nominee for president although the Illinois delegation let it be known they supported Lincoln as the vice-presidential nominee the convention chose William L Dayton of New Jersey Buchanan and Breckinridge won the election only two days after Buchanan's inauguration Chief Justice Roger B Taney read his majority opinion in a five-to-four decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of a runaway slave Dred Scott who sued for his freedom after entering a territory where slavery was prohibited by the Missouri Compromise Tanny opined that african-americans were not included within the meaning of the phrase all men are created equal in the Declaration of Independence and that they had no standing under the Constitution and thus were not citizens of the United States as such Scott had no right to file his suit in a federal court not ending their Tanny concluded that the Missouri Compromise line was unconstitutional in Springfield on June 7th 1857 senator Douglas endorsed Tani's opinion in Dred Scott he argued that the signers of the Declaration of Independence never included African Americans in the pronouncement of equality claiming his position in the kansas-nebraska Act rendering the Missouri Compromise line of no effect had been vindicated Douglass presented a powerful attack on Lincoln and the Republicans Lincoln replied to Douglass in Springfield on June 26 1857 he vigorously defended his understanding of the Declaration of Independence and the intent of the framers of it he decried the Supreme Court's decision in Dred Scott the framers meant to set up a standard maxim for a free society which should be familiar to all and revered by all constantly looked to constantly laboured for and even though never perfectly attained constantly approximated and thereby constantly spreading and deepening its influence and augmentin the happiness and value to life of all people of all colors everywhere in some respects the Negro is not my equal but in his natural right to eat the bread he earns with his own hands without asking leave of anyone else he is my equal and the equal of all others [Applause] okay in February 1858 Lincoln traveled to Chicago to meet with Norman B Judd chairman of the Republican State Central Committee to discuss running again for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate William Herndon Lincoln's law partner journeyed East to talk to Republican leaders and gathered their sentiments Republican senator Lyman Trumbull came out vocally in support of Lincoln and during the summer of 1858 95 Illinois Republican County conventions named Lincoln as their candidate for the United States Senate when the state Republican convention met in Springfield in mid-june 1858 a resolution was unanimously adopted declaring Abraham Lincoln is the first and only choice of the Republicans of Illinois for the United States Senate as the successor of Steven a Douglas the Republican Party caucus in that state legislature then voted to nominate Abraham Lincoln as their candidate for the United States Senate Lincoln accepted his nomination by the Republican Party of Illinois by delivering another powerful address in the chamber of the House of Representatives in the Illinois State Capitol it became one of his most famous speeches he leveled his attack on Douglass's Kansas Nebraska Act and in the midst of it he quoted from the Gospels of Matthew Mark and Luke under the operation of the kansas-nebraska Act that agitation over the spread of slavery has only not ceased but has constantly augmented in my opinion it will not cease until a crisis shall have been reached and passed a house divided against itself cannot stand I believe this government cannot endure permanently like half-slave and half-free I do not expect the house to fall but I do expect that it will cease to be divided it will become all one thing or all the other either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that is in the course of ultimate extinction or its advocates will push it forward till it shall become alike lawful in all the states old as well as new north as well as south Lincoln's speech was sobering it was a powerful reminder that the nation was so polarized that it was in danger of Civil War although Douglass would accuse Lincoln of inciting trouble Lincoln was forcefully arguing for Americans to simply come together and return to the designs of the founders in the Declaration of Independence and that slavery must simply be put on a course of ultimate extinction the nation he warned could not continue being so polarized and avoid conflict when Douglas heard of Lincoln's nomination he was heard to remark he would have his hands full as Lincoln was the strong man of his party Lincoln challenged Douglas to a series of debates although reluctant to do so Douglas on July 30th 1858 agreed to debate Lincoln in each of the congressional districts of Illinois except those of Chicago and Springfield where both had spoken before in a letter to Lincoln shown here Douglass named the towns of Ottawa Freeport Jonesboro Charleston Galesburg Quincy and Alton as the sites where the debates would take place and Lincoln readily agreed at Lewistown Illinois on August 17 1858 just before the debates began Lincoln set forth his fundamental attack against senator Douglas arguing if you have been inclined to believe that all men are not created equal in those in alienable rights enumerated in our charter of Liberty let me entreat you to come back return to the fountain whose waters spring close by the blood of the revolution you may do anything with me you choose if you will but heed these sacred principles I charge you to drop every paltry and insignificant thought of any man's success it is nothing I am nothing judge Douglass is nothing but do not destroy that immortal emblem of humanity the Declaration of Independence Abraham Lincoln mr. Abraham Lincoln that speech frame for Lincoln all of his debates with senator dog they left the slavery question the debate started in Ottawa on August 21st 1858 before 10,000 people the two candidates then traveled to Freeport were on August 27th they performed in front of 15,000 they then journey to southern Illinois known as Egypt we're at Jonesboro on September 15th their debate was attended by an enormous crowd three days later they debated at Charleston where again 10 to 15,000 people attended they then journeyed to Galesburg where at Knox College Lincoln and Douglas squared off before a huge audience on October 7th from there they went to Quincy for a joint appearance on October 13th and finally to Alton two days later [Music] the debates were a study in contrast six feet four inches tall Lincoln and the five feet four inches tall Douglas were poles apart politically Lincoln constantly using the Declaration of Independence and it's phrase all men are created equal to hammer home his argument that slavery must be contained and put on a course of ultimate extinction and Douglass arguing that the people of the territories should decide whether slavery should be permitted in each new state Lincoln was slow and methodical Douglass bombastic and animated on election day the members of the state legislature gathered in the Old State Capitol to vote on the Senate race at the end of the session Douglass was re-elected receiving 54 votes to Lincoln's 46 it had been a remarkable race Lincoln had won the popular vote nearly stumbling on a sidewalk in Springfield afterward Lincoln said to himself it's a slip and not a fall and so it would prove to be Lincoln had risen to become the national political spokesman for the ever increasing number of people who yearn to limit the expansion of slavery in America by 1859 he was even being mentioned as a presidential Dark Horse he was invited to address audiences in Iowa Missouri New Hampshire New York Pennsylvania and Minnesota at the end of 1859 Lincoln's friend Norman Judd traveled to New York City to meet with the National Republican Committee as it considered where the next Republican National Convention would meet to nominate its presidential and vice presidential candidates Judd convinced the committee to meet in Chicago back in October of 1859 Lincoln had been invited to speak at the Reverend Henry Ward Beecher Church in Brooklyn New York Lincoln accepted the invitation Lincoln set himself to work once again studying Lincoln poured over the Congressional globe the annals of Congress and Eliot's debates on the Federal Constitution when Lincoln arrived in New York on February 26th 1860 he discovered that the young men central Republican Union of New York City had taken over the sponsorship of his speech he also learned his speech would be given at Cooper Union in New York and not in Beecher's church Lincoln was treated as a celebrity on February 27th 1860 he was entertained at the Astor House and then taken to lower Manhattan and Cooper Union although it was snowing more than 1,500 people jammed into the Cooper Union auditorium introduced to the crowd by literary giant William Cullen Bryant Lincoln received a polite welcome the Honorable Abraham Lincoln and they only Lincoln began by noting that of the 39 signers of the Constitution 21 a clear majority together with the 76 members of the Congress that passed the first ten amendments to the Constitution certainly understood that no proper division of local from federal authority nor any part of the Constitution forbade the federal government to control slavery in the federal territories while the rest of the signers of the Constitution likely shared that opinion that was true because all those individuals as members of the Confederation Congress agreed to enact the Northwest Ordinance in 1787 prohibiting slavery in the territory that would become the states of Ohio Indiana Illinois Wisconsin and Michigan and as members of the first Congress after the ratification of the Constitution agreed to reenact that ordinance a measure that was approved and signed by President George Washington after telling his listeners to be charitable to the people of the slave-owning states Lincoln directed his speech at the core issue all the slave-owning states asked we could readily grant if we thought slavery right all we asked they could readily grant if they thought it wrong they are thinking it right an hour thinking it wrong is the precise fact upon which depends the whole controversy thinking it right as they do they're not to blame for desire in its full recognition as being right but thinking it wrong as we do are we to yield to them can we cast our votes with their view and against our own in view of our moral social and political responsibilities can we do this if our sense of duty forbids this then let us stand by our duty fearlessly and effectively neither let us be slandered from our duty by false accusations against us nor frightened from it by menaces of destruction to the government nor of dungeons to our selves let us have faith that right makes might and in that faith led us to the end dare to do our duty as we understand it the crowd rose to its feet yelling shouting waving banners and handkerchiefs no one in memory had made such an impression upon an audience in New York City all the New York newspapers printed the speech in full the next day newspaper editors wrote glowingly of the address Lincoln had become a truly national political figure and as this photograph taken the day after the speech evidences Lincoln looked the part when Lincoln left New York he was considered by many to be a candidate for the presidency and already his friends fellow lawyers and men he knew from his early days in the Illinois legislature Norman Judd Orville Browning and Judge David Davis were busy working on that very idea those political confidence together with others like Stephen T Logan would work to advance Lincoln to the presidency at the convention of the Republican Party of Illinois held in Decatur in early May 1860 in a temporary canvas meeting Hall called the Wigwam Lincoln became its favorite for the nomination to run for the presidency Lincoln became the Railsplitter candidate he paused to have his photograph taken in Decatur to commemorate the moment at another convention hall named the wigwam in Chicago 10,000 people gathered to witness the Proceedings of the Republican National Convention beginning on May 16th 1860 [Music] William Dayton Simon Cameron Edward Bates John McLean and salmon P chase were nominated for the presidency as was the politically powerful William Seward on May 18th norman judd then placed lincoln's name and nomination and the crowd went wild on the third ballot after the ohio delegation changed four votes from Ohio's native son salmon P chase to Lincoln Abraham Lincoln became the Republican nominee for the presidency of the United States to the riotous cheers of the crowd he would be elected president in November 1860 defeating none other than Democrats John C Breckinridge and Steven a Douglas as well as constitutional Union Party candidate John bel hard work and study a love of the history of his country and of its founding principles and an honesty in his words as well as his interactions with others made the difference Lincoln literally turned the Declaration of Independence into a living document he Illustrated to all Americans the power of our country's foundational documents bolstered by Lincoln's use of the Declaration of Independence even in his Gettysburg Address on November 19 1863 slavery would end in America Lincoln had journeyed a long way so would America thank you very much [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you

Channel: Witnessing History Education Foundation

Views: 179,953

Keywords: American History, Documentary, American Civil War, homeschool, pandemic, History, History Lessons, Civil War, Teacher Guides, Lesson Plans

Id: _aQXDfs0MIA

Length: 86min 6sec (5166 seconds)

Published: Tue Nov 05 2019