ShmoopTube

Where Monty Python meets your 10th grade teacher.

Search Thousands of Shmoop Videos

Lincoln vs. Douglas 1742 Views


Share It!


Description:

We got you front row seats to the political debate between Lincoln and Douglas. Buckle up—you're in for a bumpy ride.

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:14

Sorry, I'm just really pumped about this epic battle we've been witnessing.

00:18

Others might say different...

00:19

... but my man Lincoln has been destroying this Senator Stephen Douglas poser.

00:24

Right now, these two are just fighting it out for an Illinois seat in the Senate...

00:28

...but I have a feeling Abe-y Baby has his sights set much higher, and is going to be

00:32

President one day soon. A few minutes ago, Douglas was saying, "The

00:36

black man is not our equal"...

00:38

...and Lincoln was all, "But he still deserves an equal right to liberty."

00:44

I swear, it's been off the hook. Lincoln is totally pwning him.

00:47

To be honest, we all thought he might come out on stage and be a little stuffy...

00:52

...but he's been talking out of turn, laying down the jokes...

00:55

getting in a few good barbs...

00:57

...just a typical, good old-fashioned American political debate.

01:01

The papers tomorrow are going to say that Lincoln "lost" this debate...

01:04

... just because he hasn't matched every line point for point.

01:08

But the stuff he has responded to has been utterly wicked.

01:17

So don't believe everything you read.

01:19

This dude has got it in the bag. I will admit... that Douglas freak did actually

01:24

corner Abe a bit on the slavery issue.

01:33

Kind of hard for Abe to win that one, considering he's anti-slavery, and a ton of people in

01:38

his audience are... not.

01:40

It's a bit of a controversial subject, especially in the South...

01:43

...so I can understand him losing a little support by declaring his true feelings on

01:47

the subject.

01:48

But you've got to give him mad props for sticking to his guns.

01:52

I am telling you though, don't listen to those papers.

01:55

They're going to try telling you Abe's performance tonight was a "fail"...

01:59

...but the nation is going to reward his honesty.

02:04

In fact, they might even start calling him "Honest Abe."

02:08

Huh. I like that idea. I wonder if it's too late to have buttons printed...

Up Next

Why Does the Constitution Still Work for Us?
5723 Views

Ever heard of a "living document"? They eat and breathe just like the rest of us! They even walk around on their own two legs. Okay, fine—maybe t...

Related Videos

The Puritans and the Division of Church and State
1280 Views

If the Puritans had gotten their way, religion would play a much larger role in lawmaking these days. Want to know more? Watch the video for all th...

Shays' Rebellion
6383 Views

What happened between the creation of the Articles of Confederation and the ratification of the current U.S. Constitution? This video analyzes the...

There's More Than One Way to Crack a Modernist Egg
539 Views

The Modernists thought the world had a lot of problems, and they were intent on fixing them—or at least talking about fixing them. Unfortunately,...

Federalism
2532 Views

This video explains Federalism and the quest for a fair balance between state and national power. It covers the progression and compromises of Fede...