Question

What did Abraham Lincoln gain from the Lincoln-Douglas debates in spite of losing the 1858 U.S. Senate election to Stephen A. Douglas?

Answer 1

In spite of losing the 1858 U.S. Senate election to Stephen A. Douglas, Lincoln gained from the debates as they put him on the national map as a major political contender. This was critical as it helped him later in his campaign to be president

Answer 2

Lincoln’s energetic campaign had made him a national figure well positioned to become the Republican presidential candidate in 1860. Lincoln-Douglas debates took place, from August 21 to October 15, 1858. They attracted thousands of spectators and were read in the newspapers by many more. The debates transformed an Illinois contest for a Senate seat into a battle for the very future of the Republic.  It changed the dynamics of the politics with the Republicans, having become the dominant force in northern politics by combining alienated Democrats, former Whigs, and members of the nativist American Party (“Know-Nothings”).