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Sunday, September 23, 2012

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

The debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephan Douglas were held in 1858, for the campaign for the US senate. The debates were held at seven sites in Illinois, one of them include at Knox College in Galesburg. Lincoln wasn’t as popular as Douglas was, but during that arguments Lincoln stated that the United States wouldn’t survive as a half slave, half non-slave county. The debate at Knox College was on the east side of South Street between Cedar and South Cherry streets and was the site of the original debate. It is the only remaining; original building that is still stating that the debates took place at. Douglas beat Lincoln for the seat at Senate, but in 1960 Lincoln ruled over Douglas for the Presidency.

            In the 2012 debates between Obama and Romney each separate debate is going to be steamed live on ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. It will also be on local channels like CNN, Fox news, and MSNBC among many others. Some of the main topics the debates will be over are each candidates view on foreign policy, domestic policy and both put into a town meeting set up. The locations they’re being held at are The University Of Denver in Denver CO, Centre College in Danville KY, Hofstra University in Hampstead NY, and Lynn University in Boca Raton Florida.

In history all parties of the presidential election think that debates are one of the major things that sway the undecided. Overall within the last 50 years the debates have only mattered in the polls a handful of times. One of the biggest changes this year to the debates is the power that Twitter and Facebook have over the candidates. This election is revolving around Twitter and Facebook. In the 2008 Election Day over one million tweets were posted. Now, the same number of Tweets are posted every six seconds. On average Barack Obama Tweets about 4 times a day, Mitt Romney tweets about 2 times a day, Newt Gingrich tweets about 3 times a day, and Ron Paul tweets about 3 times a day.
- Katie



            Ever since I moved to Galesburg I always wondered what the big deal was. I wondered why all of the houses were older as you got further downtown and why some of the streets were brick instead of pavement.  I knew that my hometown had two colleges, but for some reason one was more important than the other. As time went on I grew to know the history of my hometown and why it was so important.

            Galesburg was founded by George Washington Gale and a group of abolitionists in 1937. Gale was Presbyterian minister from New York that had the dream of establishing a manual labor college. The group from New York bought 17 acres of land in Knox County and started to build log cabins along Log City Trail. Log City Trail is now a road that I travel every day after school; who would have known that my driving route was part of history? The log cabins that were built were to be built outside of city limits though due to the founders wanting the inside city limits to look proper and clean to new comers.

            As time went on and the group of abolitionists was finally settled, Gale established his dream; Gale built his very own manual labor college. This college is now Knox College, a four year, coeducational, private, liberal arts school. The college was said to be named after Henry Knox. Knox College is also important because it was the site of the 5th debate between Lincoln and Douglas in 1958. The school built a stage outside the Old Main building, which is still there today. The way the stage was built caused both candidates to climb out the window because the door was unable to open. Lincoln came into the debate well educated with the abolitionist surroundings of Galesburg; this caused him to be a favorite at the debate.

            My hometown was even a stop in the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a path in which slaves followed the North Star to their freedom. Galesburg, one of many stops, helped keep these slaves safe. Citizens would hide them in their houses from armed forces as well as keep them warm and fed.

I never thought that a little town like Galesburg could have such a huge part in history. Without Galesburg some of those slaves could have never made it north and the 5th debate with Lincoln and Douglas could have had a different outcome.
- Tori


                When settlers arrived in the Galesburg area in 1836 the value system they brought with them was very different from today’s. George Washington Gale and other settlers from were very strict with their beliefs, especially their views on right and wrong in society. So they set out to create there own perfect area isolated from the rest of the world.

                One of the key values the Galesburg settlers had was their views on slavery. They were believed to be radical in their views to abolish slavery and the settlers went as far to say that God thought of it as a sin. So they made it illegal to own slaves or promote slavery in Galesburg. This long standing view helped Lincoln rise in popularity  during and after his debate with Douglas, and might have eventually lead to the complete abolishment of slaves in the United States of America. Galesburg’s “radical” viewpoint has come to become the social norm in America.

                Another key issue in the settlers minds was the consumption of alcohol. They wanted their perfect world to exist without alcohol involved. This viewpoint was more common in america and people were willing to abide by it. Galesburg became a dry settlement from the start because they viewed alcohol as a terrible substance that made men go crazy and beat women and children. Settlements like this lead the way to ideals such as the Prohibition in later years. Galesburg, like America, is no longer a dry city because of the introduction of the railroad.

                The Railroad changed the ideals of the Galesburg locals, because of how quickly new people arrived and departed in the area now. The Railroad was unwanted by many in the local community because of the changes it would impose. The little perfect world that the Galesburg settlers had tried to create would forever be changed by the railroad coming to town. Galesburg though has prospered because of the railroad and has grown to a modern city because of it.

                Galesburg hasn’t become a major American city and it has faced some rough times in its history, but Galesburg is an amazing place to raise a family. The ideals set by early settlers, i believe, are still present in our minds today as we hold ourself to a higher standard than others and strive for a better life as they did. Galesburg has a rich history if you search for it and will continue to grow as a community for many years to come inviting new and rich history into the timeline of our great city.
- Sergio
 
    The Lincoln-Douglas debates were in 1858 and were held for the position of Illinois senate seat. Lincoln had challenged Douglas to debate in each of the congressional districts. They each had already talked in Chicago and Springfield so they did joint showings in each of the remaining 7. The debates centered around the issue of slavery, and received nation wide attention. Before, Lincoln was not known very well while Douglas was a household name. However, Lincoln quickly gained popularity and soon was thought to of won the election.
     These debates brought many viewers. In the Ottawa debate drew in 12,000 people. The freeport debate brought in 15,000 people, about 3 times as many as their population. Even though the weather was bad, everyone still wanted to attend the famous debates.
     Lincoln and Douglas were extreme opposes, most notably on their viewpoint of slavery. Douglas believed that giving the federal government power over the decision of outlawing slavery or not would restrict the states rights. He also believed banning slavery would damage the union.
     Lincoln was opposed to slavery. He did not believe in equality between the races ,but he held strong that it was immoral to own another fellow person. He repeated the phrase, "There is a physical difference between the two (races), which in my judgment will probably forever forbid their living together upon the equal footing of equality...", a few times, setting the theme for his debates.
     this years debates will be a bit different. Obviously, these will also get national attention, even drawing in other countries seemingly. This year the main topic will be about the economy, with smaller parts focusing on health care and the role of government. These debates are the next big hurdle for Obama and Romney. They may change the race around so, Romney's team is nervous how it will turn out. The debates will be intense.
     president Obama is more liberal on his views on the economy. He wishes to tax the top 5% of earners and then lower taxes for the rest. He also wants to put a cap on what a CEO can make. Obama's plan to help the economy is to raise the tax rate on almost every major federal tax. His goal is to expand the middle class.
     Romney's plan to fix the economy includes reducing taxes, spending, regulation, and government programs. Trade, energy production, human capital, and labor flexibility will increase. Romney believes this plan will restore the economy through the principles of free enterprise, hard work, and innovation.

- Karisa














The Lincoln-Douglas Debates were a series of seven debates in 1858 for the Illinois senate seat.  The debates were between Stephan Douglas and Abraham Lincoln, and were held in Ottawa, Freeport, Jonesboro, Charleston, Galesburg, Quincy and Alton, Illinois.  One of the most important issues of the debates was slavery, a topic that was garnering significant attention throughout the country at the time.  Because the debates were focusing on such an important topic, they gained a lot of attention throughout the state and nationwide.  Prior to the debates, Douglas was already fairly well known, as opposed to Lincoln, who wasn’t.  On the issue of slavery, Douglas took the stance that banning slavery would damage the union.  Lincoln, on the other hand, believed that slavery was wrong, and that a country divided into slave states and free states could not survive.  Many people attended the debates.  Despite the weather, thousands of people showed up, eager to hear what the candidates had to say.  At the Galesburg debate, somewhere between fifteen and twenty thousand people were in attendance.  Stephan Douglas won the Senate seat, but Lincoln went on to win the Presidential election of 1860.

This year, the presidential debates will be a huge deal, and be broadcasted across the nation.  The debates will take place this October, in the cities of Denver, Colorado; Hempstead, New York; and Boca Raton, Florida.  The debates will be focused on policy- both foreign and domestic.  For both candidates, this is their chance to sway the undecided voters in their favor, be it towards Obama or Romney.  In some elections, the debates are not nearly as big a deal as they are this year because the race is not nearly as close as it is this year.  According to the polls, Obama is maintaining a lead for the time being, but nothing is definitive yet.  One of the biggest differences between this year’s election and ones from years past is the influence of social media in fundraising, spreading the news, and advertising for (or against) the candidates.
- Lila

Knox College was originally set up as a school for men to become preachers. People in Galesburg were against slavery and some were abolitionists, a couple people at Knox thought that slavery was a sin. Part of the Underground Railroad, even went through Galesburg, and was helped out by Knox. In later years, there was a famous slave story about a woman and her children had escaped to Galesburg. Her “owner” came looking but didn’t have papers stating that she was his property. He came back with fake papers to try and get her back. He got drunk with the sheriff and went after her. He got her kids but didn’t find her, thanks to the people of Knox. Lincoln found out about that they hated slavery and used this to his advantage over Douglas. Douglas believed that slavery and the ownership of slaves was up to the local area whether or not it was allowed. He wanted to expand our territory and didn’t care if slavery was brought with. At one point in the debate he said that he was from Kansas and that they contemplate slavery as a moral, social and political evil. He didn’t really say if he was for or against slavery. Lincoln’s response to what Douglas had said was, “he is blowing out the moral candles around us when he maintains anyone who wants slaves has a right to hold them.” It is said that just that little saying probably won him the debate at Knox and eventually followed with the other debates in Illinois for senator. He also used his saying sort of as a theme for his other speeches at the other debates. Also, he didn’t use it at first when he was trying to become president but eventually did.
- James

Galesburg and Knox College was started by George Washington Gale and a group of people from New York. They moved from New York to start a new life because they didn’t like the big city life. The Saying was that if you didn’t like where you were living you could just always move west and that’s exactly what they did. George Washington Gale was a strict man and the reason he was a strict man was that he was religious. Being as he was and the group that followed he set a number of rules to be followed one was no alcohol because he believed that when men got drunk they beat their wives and kids. The second one was the crusade against slavery. George believed that slavery was against the teachings of Christ and not a good moral standing. So believing this George along with several anti-slavery advocates established the anti-slavery society. To take their measures to extremes that set up an underground railroad in Galesburg. Slaves would navigate with the North Star and end up winding in other local areas or Galesburg. When slaves entered Galesburg they were hidden until they escape into the union. Susan Richardson was an Underground Railroad helper and established the first black church in Galesburg. Galesburg and Knox College Had a lot of political and social events. The most Historical event that happened at Knox was the debate between Lincoln and Douglas for a seat in the senate in 1858. Galesburg made it a great place for the debate because it questioned whoever took a stand on anti-slavery and morality. In the end Knox College stands as a Historical Monument and an example in the United States for the anti-slavery movement and the Underground Railroad, Knox College will forever have its place in history.            
- Seth


Galesburg was founded by a very strict religious man named George Washington Gale. His religious beliefs and the beliefs of his like minded men help decide the plans for Galesburg. George Washington Gale was passionate about two fundamental principles that he shared with his team, 1. No alcohol and 2. that slavery was morally and religiously wrong and ought to be abolished. The abolition of slavery was the main driving point into the development of this town and the development of Knox College. This ideology helped shape the main principles of the town and college. Even into making it a part of the underground-railroad. The college and the town as a whole helped majorly in the freeing of slaves through means of hiding them once the got to the north.  When slaves entered Galesburg they were hidden until they escape into the union. Susan Richardson was an Underground Railroad helper and established the first black church in Galesburg. These values and dedication to the cause were crucial in the formation of the town. When Knox College had Lincoln have his debate it put Galesburg on the map as a society against the en-slavery of African Americans. Lincoln was opposed to slavery. he held strong that it was immoral to own another fellow person. These were the same values that George Washington Gale and his advocates had held when they planned this city while they were in New York. And it is the same values we hold today, the same values that mad this city and subsequently the college. Knox College stands as a Historical Monument and an example in the United States for the anti-slavery movement and the Underground Railroad. The Stance on slavery put Galesburg on the map. And ourpart in the underground railroad put us in historical books.
- Stephan

    There are many ways how this debate now happening in 2012 between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama is different from the debates that occured between Lincoln and Douglas.  The Lincoln and Douglas debates were intense but definatly were not even close to as bad as the Romney/Obama debates right now.  There is so much trash talking during this debate that there is not to much comparison.  The Abraham Lincoln and Stephan A. Douglas debates had alotless stuff to focus on during there debates.  For starters they were not battling for the presidents office but nearly a seat in the senate.  Plus the fact that there debates were not televised and did not have half the publicty as this current debate is having.  There topics were mainly focused on slavery due to Lincoln fearing that the next Dred Scott decision would make Illinois a slave state.  These topics dont have much to do with these debates obviously which makes them so much different.  The Obama/Romney debates currently ongoing right now has many more current topics that were not even brought up back in the Lincoln Douglas debates such as illegal immagration.  I guess you could in a way compare african american slavery with illegal immigration because they have to deal with minoritys.  But like i said earlier Lincoln and Douglas did not do hardley any of the trash talking that Romney and Obama.  Its like every time you turn on the T.V you see another commercial about how the other canidate is a terrible choice to be our next president.  It is just flat out dirty which could be the reason im not a big fan of either canidate.  If i was watching the debates back then im sure i would be a Abraham Lincoln supporter but i know Stephan A. Douglas had some good points he mad in his speeches.  So that would be interesting.  This debate is just getting dumb and im sure media has something to do with it.  But all in all there some some comparisons between the debates but there are also major differences.
- Nate


The Lincoln-Douglas debate that took place at Knox College in 1858 was the fifth of seven debates between the two for the Senate seat in Illinois.  The debates were conducted between Rock Island and St. Louis which was politically the most divided and hard to identify areas in Illinois.  The biggest topic for discussion in these debates was each candidates take on slavery.  As we all know Lincoln wished to abolish slavery and set everyone free.  He said in the debate “I belong to that class who contemplate slavery as moral, social and political evil.”  Galesburg at this time was also anti-slavery since the founders of the town and Knox were from New York and northerners found it unjust to keep any human as a slave.  Politically and socially Knox/ Galesburg completely backed up Lincoln because they believed in the same things as he did.  Also activists of Galesburg worked very hard to promote Lincoln, they made many signs and posters supporting him for during the debate.  So when Lincoln came to Galesburg he was able to express himself most comfortably knowing that a majority of the people there would support him.  In this time Galesburg was a big part of the Underground Railroad and worked to help slaves escape to freedom.  Which also shows the level of activism in Galesburg as they worked to end slavery in their own quiet yet very effective way.
- Sami



The values of the early founders were completely different then you would expect. They were conservative and almost all were very religious. George Washington Gale the original founder of Galesburg was a minister. They were a=originally from new but wanted to move out west to have a place of their own. They were sick of the city life and wanted to have a city that everyone shared the same values.

One value in particular was the position on slavery. George Washington gale was against slavery entirely. He believed it was a sin not to mention morally wrong. The founders even set up an underground railroad in Galesburg. Many fugitives came through Galesburg because you could almost always see the north star. There were also many slave runaways because of how close we are to the Mississippi river. Many would work on steamboat and try to escape. This is one reason Lincoln speech at the debate at Knox was so moving because he related with the Galesburgians and their beliefs on anti-slavery. It was also a main reason why the debates were held her in the first place. Gale and his followers were also very against alcohol. They connected alcohol with domestic abuse. Gale believed that when a man got drunk, he would then be overcome with rage and beat his family.

The values affected the founders in the fact it was a different kind of town. Almost everyone

shared the same religion and moral code. If you believed in drinking alcohol, you would have been looked down on by the founders of Galesburg. The people were very set in their ways and couldn't be persuaded just because it was easier. They fought the hard battle of slavery and most likely saved numerous lives because of their underground railroad and their wanting to help.
- Emily











The Lincoln-Douglas debates the seven different debates against Abraham Lincoln (Republican) and Stephen Douglas (Democrat) for the Illinois Senate seat.  The majority of the debates discussed slavery but they were also fighting for a vote from the state legislature to become the senator of Illinois.  Although Douglas was the incumbent he had to win against Abraham Lincoln who proved to be a tough opponent. There are nine congressional districts in Illinois and the debates were going to be held in seven of them.  They would travel to the different districts and debate in public in the different cities and then move on to the next one discussing various topics but slavery being the main issue.
The debates in modern time are obviously two candidates of opposing teams going back and forth to each other.  Although, the hopefuls do not travel to as many places they still have to travel in order to verbally duke it out with their opponent. The debates now do not involve slavery obviously, but a majority of them are talking about foreign and domestic policies because that is such a broad topic that the candidate can defend themselves easily.  The debates are held inside and some are even in the form of a “town hall meeting” which is a question/answer session with the candidates.
This election is very different compared to most because the power of the social media.  It is now a matter of who is the “top dog” in the social media world, because if you are active with Twitter and Facebook it is more likely that voters will pay attention.  During the debates, voters will be watching --- yes.  Most important these voters will be tweeting and creating statuses about the candidates, their answers and how they respond to criticism.  It is not normal that the debates effect the election, but in this run for the presidency whoever wins the social networkers votes will have a huge bump in the polls.   
- Dani
 
Galesburg was founded by a minister from New York by the name of George Washington Gale.  He pushed for a manual labor college which became Knox College.  Log City was a name used for where people lived outside of the towns boundaries while more updated homes were built in the town.  People did not want any log cabins in town. The values of the early founders of Knox and Galesburg were based off of their beliefs that were deeply influenced by their religion as presbyterians.
            Knox was a college where the community of teachers and students worked closely together and were dedicated to the values of independent thought, personal integrity, and community responsibility.  The community was so serious about education that college classes continued on Christmas day. A Lincoln-Douglas debate was held at Knox, being the fifth and most famous of the debates.  The first president of Knox, Hiram Huntington Kellog, opposed discrimination against women. Knox was one of the first colleges open to both African-Americans and women. It's clear that the early founders of Knox believed in equality and a right to education for anyone.
            Founders of Galesburg opposed slavery and formed an anti-slavery society.  They also put a stop to the underground railroad. Throughout Knox County there were strong advocates for and against slavery.  Galesburg welcomed Blacks from the way beginning. Gale and two other founders were indicted in 1843 for harboring slaves, but charges were eventually dropped.  Even though Galesburg was very open, blacks still experienced some prejudice. On another note, presbyterian was the religion of majority of the people living in Galesburg.  All in all, the values of the early founders of Knox and Galesburg had a lot to do with equality amongst men and women, white or not, and how important eduation is.
- Allison
 
The big main value and goal that Galesburg had was for the town to be modernized.  They wanted to model the houses like the ones in New York. This meant they didn’t want any log cabins and that they wanted all the houses to have siding. Galesburg’s founder was George W. Gale. Education was also a big part of what they wanted Galesburg to be. They originally planned the town mainly around Knox College. Knox College campus buildings were a short distance from the central business district. The town was originally 6 blocks north and south and 7 blocks east and west.  Also there was Log City.  Log City was a temporary encampment for people who had log cabins or until suitable frame residences could be erected in the town.  The town was very much anti slavery.  Not only did residents believe that slavery was wrong, but many were willing to put themselves on the line by breaking the laws.  The role of anti slavery also influenced the role of the underground railroad in Galesburg.  The anti slavery environment that Galesburg formed also had somewhat of an impact on the Lincoln Douglas debate held at Knox College.  It gave Lincoln his edge that would help his campaign take off and that would help him win the presidency.  
- Erin
 
          Galesburg even from its earliest roots was a very prosperous and well maintained town and has had strong, well-nourished roots.  From its early days Galesburg was not your average Western town. They thought that the teachings of Christ were that slavery was a sin and that it should not be permitted.  The people that were involved in the planning Galesburg and Knox College had a major role in what the morals and what the mission goal of the town was going to be.  They wanted to be classy upscale type of town and not a log home kind of town. Your house had to be sided or else you could not build a house in Galesburg. 
George Washington Gale played a major role in all aspects of the planning of the town, for instance he helped slaves have a safe journey through Illinois and make it to the North and out of Slavery. Your morals and your religious beliefs of the people of Galesburg thought that slavery was wrong and it will not be permitted.   Knox College is rich in history of helping people become better and more educated.  The founders had their beliefs that slavery was wrong and it was led by George Washington Carver and Reverend Samuel Wright.  They actively supported the Underground Railroad and thought it was an amazing thing to support. 
These values that these people brought to Galesburg and Knox brought a new light to this world.  The small things that they did and their focus to detail made a domino effect for big things to happen to this little town.  They wanted to keep a different tone for the town and didn’t want it to fall into the trap of being low class with no future down the road.
- Paul



            Galesburg was founded by George Washington Gale, who was a Presbyterian minister from New York State. When originally planning Galesburg, Gale wanted to build a manual labor college, which is now Knox College. Gales’ religious background affected the values of the early founders of Galesburg.

            The original founders of Galesburg and Knox College were mainly Presbyterians and Congregationalists. Being religious, the original founders of Galesburg and Knox were anti-slavery social reformers. They did not believe slavery was right, and that changed the values of both Knox and Galesburg. The values of the original Galesburg made it home to the first anti-slavery society in Illinois and became a stop on the Underground Railroad. The people of Galesburg were willing to help African Americans achieve freedom; even know the dangers and risk involved. It was a rare thing when an entire city was against slavery and wanted to help abolish it. When slaves entered Galesburg, they were hidden by various people until they could escape into the union. There were many prominent anti-slavery figures that lived and helped out in Galesburg.

            Another value that the original founders of Galesburg had was not drinking alcohol. Gale believed that when men would drink, they would beat their wives and kids. Gale thought this was against God’s teachings, so he did not allow alcohol in Galesburg. The original people of Galesburg would have been in support of temperance movement because of their values.

            The values of the original Galesburg also affected how people voted in elections. People would vote for a candidate who had similar moral values as them. When one of the Lincoln- Douglas debates happened at Knox College, Lincoln showed that he also wanted to abolish slavery just like the people of Galesburg. This helped people vote for Lincoln in the election.

            The values of the original founders of Galesburg and Knox affected live in many ways. Galesburg’s anti-slavery and no alcohol views separated it from many cities at that time.
- Jordan



The trip we took as a class was located at Galesburg’s own Knox College. We learned all about the history of the college and Galesburg itself.

Galesburg was founded by George W. Gale, a minister of the gospel from New York State who dreamed of establishing a manual labor college. A committee from New York purchased 17 acres in Knox County in 1835, and the first 25 settlers arrived in 1836. They built cabins in Log City near current Lake Storey, just north of Galesburg. Galesburg was home to the first anti-slavery society in state of Illinois founded in 1837, and was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Railroads play a key role in Galesburg, the first railroad came to Galesburg in 1854.

Gale set out for the prairies of Illinois to establish an educational institution that would be known as Knox Manual Labor College. The college, which was chartered by the Illinois legislature on February 15, 1837, has always been a private, independent college. The college consisted of the four streets that originally made up the city; North, South, Academy and Seymour streets.  Knox was among the first institutions open to people of color and women. The first commencement was June 1846, and in 1857 the name was altered to Knox College. The plan to bring the college to the prairie was deliberate and well-thought out. In New York, George Washington Gale sought settlers of a like mind and moral purpose. He began publicizing his project in 1834 with a "Circular and Plan", which set out the intention to procure land with the money from subscribers, or people that were to follow him; purchase a large tract of land in the West, and then sell land back to the followers. Knox was one of the main reasons that Galesburg was founded.
- Lexi



      The Lincoln–Douglas Debates of 1858 were a series of seven debates between the Republican candidate, Abraham Lincoln, and the  Democratic party candidate, Senator Stephen Douglas.

 Douglas and Lincoln were trying to win control over the Illinois legislature. Slavery was the main issue / theme in all seven debates.

The debates were held at seven parts of Illinois. Both candidates had about 30 minutes to speak on each. 

Douglas had chaired the Senate Committee on Territories and he also helped enact the Compromise of 1850. Lincoln said that the United States could not survive as half-free states & half-slave country.

These important debates drew the attention to the whole nation. Lincoln lost and Douglas succeeded. In 1960, Lincoln did gain back victory for the presidential election.

 This year’s, 2012 debates, will be over foreign and domestic policy, which will be held at the Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. The moderator will ask a question and both candidates will have 2 minutes to respond to the questions.

Also, the debates will be over just Domestic policy, held in Denver, Colorado at the University of Denver. Again, they will both have two minutes to respond to each question.

 Another one will be held at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. In all of them, the participants will be President Obama, Mitt Romney, Vice President Joe Biden, and Congressman Paul Ryan.

The difference between the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Obama-Romney debates is that the main topic in the Lincoln debates was slavery and the main topic in the 2012 debates is Foreign & domestic policy.

Also, Douglas and Lincoln had 30 minutes to speak on each topic but Romney and Barack Obama will only have about 2 minutes to talk on each.

Another thing that is different between the debates is that now our country has internet and television, which can get more people to vote for either candidate.
- Anye



            The social and political values of Galesburg played a huge impact on the theme of Abraham Lincoln’s speech at Know College.  The people inhabiting Galesburg during the time of the speech were highly religious and certainly against the idea of slavery.  Slavery was a very controversial topic at the time and most places politicians had to tip-toe around the subject so they were not criticized too harshly.  Throughout the course of the Lincoln-Douglas debate, Lincoln stayed strong on his view against slavery and used it to his advantage over Douglas.

            The level of activism towards abolitionism that was exemplified in Galesburg was astronomical.  Galesburg was founded on the belief that every man should be treated equally and that no man could claim ownership over another man.  During the 1800’s, Galesburg was a part of the Underground Railroad which was an escape route for African-American slaves.  Also, many stories exist about Galesburg citizens finding slaves and refusing to give them back to their owners when confronted over the matter.  Galesburg took the most radical view possible against the idea of slavery.

            Galesburg’s activism played a major role in the Lincoln-Douglas debates.  At the time of Lincoln’s presidential campaign, there were no televisions to publicize the events, which gave Lincoln more comfort ability while speaking to the audience.  Like I mentioned earlier, this allowed Lincoln to speak boldly against slavery and use it against his pro-slavery opponent.  Also, one of the major forms of ‘media’ was given by word of mouth, so if the people of Galesburg were spreading biased opinions to other cities supporting Lincoln, it could not have hurt his campaign.

            All in all, Galesburg proved to be remarkably influential during the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the election of Abraham Lincoln ended up being one of the wisest decisions America has ever made.
- Riley


Twenty thousand people and more sat and stood hearing Lincoln and Douglas speak while a raw northwest wind tore flags and banners to rags. For three hours the two debaters spoke to people who buttoned their coats tighter and listened.  The Galesburg meeting was the high-water mark of the debates.  Sixty-six million people watched it on television in 60 alone.  Historians would capitalize the “d” in debate and place the word “Great” in front of it.  Half of the voters said the televised series of four debates shaped how they cast their ballot.  Six percent said they voted specifically according to their impression of the debates.  There were now about tens of millions who tuned in not only to listen but watch them as well.  So instead of allowing their candidate to be abused by the new medium, campaign managers and party leaders sought ways to exploit it.  Presidential debates would never be the same again.  By the time the 21st century rolled around they bore about the same resemblance. The elections were longer. In elections now they time the candidates.  In most debates they can talk for up to 15 minutes.  Most of the debates are televised.  People don’t have to stand out in the cold.  More people can watch it when it’s on TV. Not everybody has the gas or money to travel to where the debate is located.  It influences the voters more.  They have moderators that lead the discussions. This helps so you don’t have a bunch of arguments.  Also they pick out their topics.   Back then they could discuss anything they want.  This is good because then you really don’t have the time to be mean to your opponent.  Also so they don’t just go rambling on about something.  The debates got better when they were televised.
- Lindsay




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