STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS

Stephen Arnold Douglas born April 23, 1813, was a Democratic politician. A strong supporter of national expansion, Douglas had been elected to the U.S. Senate in 1846, and served until his passing. In his time as a politician Douglas made it a point to let popular sovereignty, be the deciding factor in allowing a slavery, within a controlled region. His most famous debates were with Republican counterpart, Abraham Lincoln, and the debates these two men had would go on to change American politics in the process. Douglas coined the "Freeport Doctrine," which let police power and unfriendly legislation determine the existence of slavery in particular regions, with no regards to the Supreme Court Decision. This soon lead to the failed re-election of Douglas as chairman in the Senate, as oppisition in the south continued to grow. One of the key figures in solving the problem of slavery inside the U.S., Douglas was a fierce debator, and made his stance be known. He passed away June 3, of 1861.