Lincoln, Douglas and Brown 8

Abraham Lincoln considered slavery an evil and believed it should be restricted and eventually abolished. In a speech in 1854, he argued that slavery's issue was a national concern, not just local. In 1858, he ran against Stephen A. Douglas for a Senate seat, stating that a divided nation could not last. Lincoln and Douglas debated seven times, with Lincoln challenging Douglas's ideas. Douglas won the election, but Lincoln gained national recognition. Meanwhile, John Brown led an attack on Harper’s Ferry to incite a slave uprising. After two days, he was captured and later tried and hanged. Over time, more Northerners began to see Brown as a martyr for his cause.