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In 1852, and again in 1856, Douglas was a candidate for the presidential nomination in the national Democratic convention, and though on both occasions he was unsuccessful, he received strong support. When the [[Know Nothing]] movement grew strong he crusaded against it, but hoped it would split the opposition.  In 1858 he won significant support in many former Know-Nothing strongholds. <ref>Hansen and Nygard</ref>  In 1857, he broke with President [[James Buchanan|Buchanan]] and the "administration" Democrats and lost much of his support in the [[Southern United States]], but partially restored himself to favor in the North, and especially in Illinois, by his vigorous opposition to the method of voting on the [[Lecompton constitution]], which he saw as fraudulent, and (in 1858) to the admission of Kansas into the Union under this constitution.<ref> Johannsen (1973) </ref>

In 1852, and again in 1856, Douglas was a candidate for the presidential nomination in the national Democratic convention, and though on both occasions he was unsuccessful, he received strong support. When the [[Know Nothing]] movement grew strong he crusaded against it, but hoped it would split the opposition.  In 1858 he won significant support in many former Know-Nothing strongholds. <ref>Hansen and Nygard</ref>  In 1857, he broke with President [[James Buchanan|Buchanan]] and the "administration" Democrats and lost much of his support in the [[Southern United States]], but partially restored himself to favor in the North, and especially in Illinois, by his vigorous opposition to the method of voting on the [[Lecompton constitution]], which he saw as fraudulent, and (in 1858) to the admission of Kansas into the Union under this constitution.<ref> Johannsen (1973) </ref>

In 1858, when the Supreme Court, after the vote of Kansas against the Lecompton constitution, had decided that Kansas was a "slave" territory, thus quashing Douglas’s theory of "[[popular sovereignty]]", he engaged in Illinois in a close and very exciting contest for the Senate seat with [[Abraham Lincoln]], the Republican candidate, whom he met in a series of seven famous debates which became known as the [[Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858|Lincoln-Douglas debates]]. In the second of the debates, Douglas was led to declare that any territory, by "unfriendly legislation", could exclude slavery, no matter what the action of the Supreme Court. Having already lost the support of a large element of his party in the South, his association with this famous [[Freeport Doctrine]] made it anathema to many southerners, including [[Jefferson Davis]], who would have otherwise supported it.  

In 1858, when the Supreme Court, after the vote of Kansas against the Lecompton constitution, had decided that Kansas was a "slave" territory, thus quashing Douglas’s theory of "[[popular sovereignty]]", he engaged in Illinois in a close and very exciting contest for the Senate seat with [[Abraham Lincoln]], the Republican candidate, whom he met in a series of seven famous debates which became known as the [[Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858|Lincoln-Douglas debates]]. In the second of the debates, Douglas was led to declare that any territory, by "unfriendly legislation", could exclude slavery, no matter what the action of the Supreme Court. Having already lost the support of a large element of his party in the South, his association with this famous [[Freeport Doctrine]] made it anathema to many southerners, including [[Jefferson Davis]], who would have otherwise supported it.  

In the 1860 Democratic national convention in Charleston, South Carolina, the failure to adopt a slave code to the territories in the platform brought about the withdrawal from the convention of delegations from Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, Florida, Texas and Arkansas. The convention adjourned to Baltimore, Maryland, where the Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Maryland delegations left it, and where Douglas was nominated for the presidency by the Northern Democrats. He campaigned vigorously but hopelessly, boldly attacking disunion, and in the election, though he received a popular vote of 1,376,957 (2nd at 29%) he received an electoral vote of only 12 (4th and last at 4%) - Lincoln receiving 180 (see: [[U.S. presidential election, 1860]]).  His support in the North came from the [[Irish Americans|Irish Catholics]] and the poorer farmers; in the South the Irish Catholics were his main supporters. <ref> Johannsen (1973) </ref>

In the 1860 Democratic national convention in Charleston, South Carolina, the failure to adopt a slave code to the territories in the platform brought about the withdrawal from the convention of delegations from Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, Florida, Texas and Arkansas. The convention adjourned to Baltimore, Maryland, where the Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Maryland delegations left it, and where Douglas was nominated for the presidency by the Northern Democrats. He campaigned vigorously but hopelessly, boldly attacking disunion, and in the election, though he received a popular vote of 1,376,957 (2nd at 29%) he received an electoral vote of only 12 (4th and last at 4%) - Lincoln receiving 180 (see: [[U.S. presidential election, 1860]]).  His support in the North came from the [[Irish Americans|Irish Catholics]] and the poorer farmers; in the South the Irish Catholics were his main supporters. <ref> Johannsen (1973) </ref>

Douglas urged the South to acquiesce to Lincoln's election; and made efforts to arrange a compromise which would persuade the South to remain in the Union. At the outbreak of the [[American Civil War]], he denounced secession as criminal, and was one of the strongest advocates of maintaining the integrity of the Union at all hazards. At Lincoln's request he undertook a mission to the border states and to the Midwest to rouse the spirit of Unionism; he spoke in West Virginia, Ohio and Illinois.  

Douglas urged the South to acquiesce to Lincoln's election; and made efforts to arrange a compromise which would persuade the South to remain in the Union. At the outbreak of the [[American Civil War]], he denounced secession as criminal, and was one of the strongest advocates of maintaining the integrity of the Union at all hazards. At Lincoln's request he undertook a mission to the border states and to the Midwest to rouse the spirit of Unionism; he spoke in West Virginia, Ohio and Illinois.

 

==Historical Disputes==

==Historical Disputes==