Lincoln’s Cooper Union Address
Lincoln’s debates with Stephen A. Douglas brought him to national attention, including an invitation to speak at Cooper Union in New York City. In one of the most carefully prepared speeches of his career, Abraham Lincoln argued that twenty-one signers of the United States Constitution believed that the federal government should exercise control over slavery in the territories. Hence, the position of the Republican Party on the westward expansion of slavery was not revolutionary, but instead was consistent with the wishes of the Founding Fathers. The speech is significant because it won Lincoln the support of Republican Party leaders in the East and led to his nomination as the party’s presidential candidate.
<p>Lincoln’s debates with Stephen A. Douglas brought him to national attention, including an invitation to speak at Cooper Union in New York City. In one of the most carefully prepared speeches of his career, Abraham Lincoln argued that twenty-one signers of the United States Constitution believed that the federal government should exercise control over slavery in the territories. Hence, the position of the Republican Party on the westward expansion of slavery was not revolutionary, but instead was consistent with the wishes of the Founding Fathers. The speech is significant because it won Lincoln the support of Republican Party leaders in the East and led to his nomination as the party’s presidential candidate.</p>