Write 1-2 paragraphs that explain what Lincoln and Douglas each believed about slavery.

Answer:

Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas held conflicting views on the future of slavery in the United States. Lincoln believed that slavery was a moral, social, and political wrong that directly contradicted the founding principles of the Declaration of Independence. While he did not initially call for the immediate abolition of slavery where it already existed, he was adamant that it should not be allowed to spread into new Western territories, believing that restricting its movement would eventually lead to its ultimate extinction. In contrast, Stephen Douglas championed the doctrine of popular sovereignty. He believed that the federal government should not interfere with the issue of slavery and that the citizens of each individual territory or state should have the right to decide for themselves whether to allow the practice. While both men shared the era's common prejudice that Black people were not socially or politically equal to white people, Lincoln's primary goal was to contain the institution of slavery, whereas Douglas sought to keep the nation together by allowing local populations to choose their own laws regarding it.