Question

In the Lincoln-Douglas debates, ___ accused ___ of being an abolitionist and a supporter of racial equality. a) Stephen A. Douglas, Abraham Lincoln b) Abraham Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas c) John Brown, Harriet Tubman d) Frederick Douglass, Nat Turner

Answer 1

Stephen A. Douglas accused Abraham Lincoln of being an abolitionist and supporter of racial equality during the Lincoln-Douglas debates in the 1858 Illinois race for the U.S. Senate. The correct option is a.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the Lincoln-Douglas debates, Stephen A. Douglas accused Abraham Lincoln of being an abolitionist and a supporter of racial equality. The debates were a series of seven events during the 1858 Illinois race for the U.S. Senate. Douglas attempted to appeal to the racial prejudices of the electorate by branding Lincoln a "Black Republican" and insinuating that he supported the idea of racial equality, which was a contentious topic at the time. Douglas further argued that it was a "monstrous heresy" to believe that the Founding Fathers intended blacks to be citizens with equal rights. Meanwhile, Lincoln sought to counter these accusations; although opposing the dehumanization of blacks, he also made statements to assure the electorate that he was not in favor of promoting the social and political equality of the races, maintaining that he supported whites' superior position.

The correct option is a.