Stephen Douglas

Date of Birth: April 23, 1813

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

Date of Death: June 3, 1861

Biography

Stephen Arnold Douglas was an influential American politician, born on April 23, 1813, in Brandon, Vermont. Known for his energetic and charismatic leadership, he played a vital role in the mid-19th century American politics. Douglas is perhaps best remembered for his role in the Lincoln-Douglas debates and his strong advocacy for popular sovereignty, the principle that the settlers of a federal territory should decide the status of slavery themselves. Douglas began his political career in Illinois, where he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1843 and later to the Senate in 1847. His tenure in the Senate was marked by his involvement in the passage of the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, both of which attempted to address the contentious issue of slavery in the United States. Douglas ran for President in the 1860 election as the Democratic Party candidate but was defeated by Abraham Lincoln. Despite this loss, he remained a significant political figure and continued to serve in the Senate until his death on June 3, 1861. Douglas’s legacy is a complex one, marked by his efforts to maintain the Union and his controversial stance on slavery.

5 Interesting Facts about Stephen Douglas

1. Stephen Douglas was nicknamed “The Little Giant” due to his short stature and powerful influence in politics.

2. He played a crucial role in the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed new territories to decide on the legality of slavery through popular sovereignty.

3. Douglas debated Abraham Lincoln in a series of seven debates during the Illinois Senate race in 1858, which became iconic in American history.

4. He was married twice; his second wife, Adele Cutts, was the great-niece of former First Lady Dolley Madison.

5. Despite being a proponent of popular sovereignty, Douglas was a staunch Unionist and supported President Lincoln after the outbreak of the Civil War.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Stephen Douglas

1. “I deny the right of Congress to force a slaveholding state upon the people of Kansas against their will.”

2. “The Union must be preserved at all hazards.”

3. “In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.”

4. “I am confident that the Union can be preserved, and that the Constitution and the laws can be maintained inviolate.”

5. “I hold that a Negro is not and never ought to be a citizen of the United States.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Stephen Douglas’s highest net worth is not well-documented, but as a prominent politician, he would have had significant social and political capital.

Children

Stephen Douglas had three children with his first wife, Martha Martin: 1. Robert Martin Douglas (1849–1917) 2. Stephen Arnold Douglas, Jr. (1850–1908) 3. A third child who died in infancy.