Lincoln-Douglas debates defined the distinctions between the Democratic and Republican parties in the following ways:
Republicans (Lincoln): Supported the Wilmont Proviso, sought to ban slavery in new territory, believed Douglas feared a mixing of the races, believed there was a conspiracy to nationalize slavery and that Douglas was a part of it.
Democrats (Douglas): Supported "popular sovereignty" or the idea that local electorates should vote to decide if slavery should be allowed in their state, believed Lincoln was an abolitionist,
Lincoln-Douglas debate were a series of debates which tackled slavery and states rights issues. Abraham Lincoln was a republican candidate while Stephen Douglas was a democratic candidate.
Lincoln's view about slavery was very different from Douglas. Lincoln argued that slavery was a moral issue and should not be extended into new territories. He wants o stop geographical expansion of slavery, while Douglas believed that settlers have rights to vote on the matter of slavery in new territories. For him, slavery is not a moral problem and argued that United States is a white man's government.
