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Stephen A. Douglas
Civil War Encyclopedia >> People - Union Political
| April 23, 1813 | Stephen A. Douglas born, Brandon, Rutland County, VT. | |
| August 8, 1846 | U. S. President James Polk requests 2 million dollars to purchase land from Mexico following the Mexican-American War. David Wilmot of Pennsylvania attaches the "Wilmot Proviso" to this bill. It passes in the House but is tabled in the Senate. | Pennsylvania |
| Wilmot Proviso | ||
| Wilmot Proviso [full text] | ||
| Causes of the Civil War | ||
| James Polk | ||
| John A. McClernand | ||
| December 11, 1848 | Stephen Douglas introduces a bill in the Senate calling for the formation of the Mexican cessions into a single state. | |
| March 25, 1850 | The original bills of the Compromise of 1850 are completed. They were written individually by Stephen Douglas | |
| Compromise of 1850 | ||
| June 1, 1852 | Democratic Convention begins in Baltimore, Maryland. Four candidates, Lewis Cass, Stephen Douglas, William Marcy and James Buchanan struggle for philosophical control of the Democrat Party. On the 35th ballot the name of Franklin Pierce is added by the state of Virginia | |
| James Buchanan | ||
| Election of 1852 | ||
| Franklin Pierce | ||
| Democratic Party | ||
| December 5, 1853 | Committee on Territories, chaired by Stephen Douglas, begins hearings on the Nebraska statehood bill passed by the U. S. House | |
| January 4, 1854 | Committee of Terrortories chairman Stephen Douglas reports the Kansas-Nebraska Act. | |
| Kansas-Nebraska Act | ||
| January 23, 1854 | Following a discussion with Franklin Pierce and Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, Douglas releases the Nebraska act with two significant changes: Two terrortories, Kansas and Nebraska will be formed and the Missouri Compromise is superceded and inoperative. | |
| Jefferson Davis | ||
| Franklin Pierce | ||
| Kansas-Nebraska Act | ||
| Missouri Compromise (Compromise of 1820) | ||
| February 7, 1854 | Steven Douglas resubmits the Nebraska Act as the Kansas-Nebraska Act and extends the law of the United States to the territories. | |
| Kansas-Nebraska Act | ||
| March 3, 1854 March 4, 1854 |
Stephen Douglas stands his ground in the Senate as he closes debate on the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Biographers consider this to be one of his shining moments. Finally, at 5:00 am on the 4th, the Senate passes the bill, 37 to 14 | |
| Kansas-Nebraska Act | ||
| June 2, 1856 June 6, 1856 |
Democratic Convention - After 14 ballots, sitting President Franklin Pierce withdraws his name from nomination. Stephen Douglas withdraws at the end of the 16th ballot. James Buchanan is nominated by acclamation | Maryland |
| Election of 1856 | ||
| James Buchanan | ||
| Franklin Pierce | ||
| Democratic Party | ||
| December 9, 1857 | Breaking with the Democrats, Stephen Douglas announces he is against the Lecompton Constitution | Kansas |
| Lecompton Constitution | ||
| Democratic Party | ||
| February 2, 1858 | President Buchanan reiterates his support of the Lecompton Constitution to the Senate, which accepts the document 32-25 over the objections of Stephen Douglas | Kansas |
| James Buchanan | ||
| Lecompton Constitution | ||
| English Bill | ||
| June 15, 1858 | Abraham Lincoln makes his "House Divided" speech before the Illinois Republican Convention to kick off his senatorial run against Stephen Douglas | Illinois |
| A House Divided [Full Text] | ||
| Abraham Lincoln | ||
| Republican Party | ||
| August 21, 1858 | First of seven Lincoln-Douglas debates | Illinois |
| Abraham Lincoln | ||
| August 27, 1858 | Second Lincoln-Douglas debate, Freeport, Illinois | Illinois |
| Abraham Lincoln | ||
| September 15, 1858 | Third Lincoln-Douglas debate | Illinois |
| Abraham Lincoln | ||
| September 18, 1858 | Fourth Lincoln-Douglas debate, Charleston, Illinois | Illinois |
| Abraham Lincoln | ||
| October 7, 1858 | Fifth Lincoln-Douglas debate, Galesburg, Illinois | Illinois |
| Abraham Lincoln | ||
| October 13, 1858 | Sixth Lincoln-Douglas debate, Quincy, Illinois | Illinois |
| Abraham Lincoln | ||
| October 15, 1858 | Seventh Lincoln-Douglas debate, Alton, Illinois | Illinois |
| Abraham Lincoln | ||
| June 18, 1860 June 23, 1860 |
The Democrats reconvene in Baltimore to select a nominee, but Douglas can't make the necessary 2/3 majority until the anti-Douglas delegates leave on June 22 and the floor rules are changed to require 2/3 vote of the members present. On June 23rd the Convention nominates Stephen Douglas and Herschal V. Johnson | Maryland |
| The Election of 1860 | ||
| 1860 Democratic National Convention | ||
| 1860 Democratic Party Platform | ||
| Democratic Party | ||
| November 6, 1860 | Republican Abraham Lincoln wins the Presidential election with 39.7% of the vote, defeating Stephen Douglas, John Breckinridge and John Bell. | |
| Abraham Lincoln | ||
| Causes of the Civil War | ||
| John Breckinridge | ||
| The Election of 1860 | ||
| Republican Party | ||
| June 3, 1861 | Stephen A. Douglas dies from typhoid fever, Chicago, IL |
Douglas was one of three northerners in the House of Representatives to vote against the Wilmot Proviso.
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Civil War Encyclopedia >> People - Union Political
Stephen A. Douglas was last changed on - May 16, 2007
Stephen A. Douglas was added in 2005
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