Stephen Douglas was one of the most influential and controversial politicians in American history. He was a leader of the Democratic Party, a champion of popular sovereignty, and a fierce rival of Abraham Lincoln. He was also a victim of typhoid fever, a deadly disease that claimed his life at the age of 48. How did Stephen Douglas die, and what impact did his death have on the nation?
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The Life and Career of Stephen Douglas
Stephen Douglas was born in Brandon, Vermont, on April 23, 1813. He was the son of a physician who died when he was two months old. He grew up in poverty and had to work hard to get an education. He moved to Illinois in 1833 and became a lawyer and a politician. He joined the newly formed Democratic Party and rose rapidly in the ranks. He served in various offices, including the Illinois House of Representatives, the Illinois Supreme Court, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the U.S. Senate.
Douglas became a national figure in the 1850s, when he played a key role in shaping the country’s policy on slavery and territorial expansion. He was one of the architects of the Compromise of 1850, which admitted California as a free state and allowed the territories of Utah and New Mexico to decide on slavery by popular vote. He also sponsored the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and opened up the possibility of slavery in the vast region west of Missouri. This act sparked a violent conflict between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas, known as “Bleeding Kansas”.
Douglas was a strong believer in popular sovereignty, the idea that each territory should determine its own status on slavery. He argued that this was the best way to preserve the Union and respect the rights of the people. However, his position alienated many Northerners who opposed slavery and saw it as a threat to free labor and democracy. Douglas also faced opposition from Southern Democrats who wanted to protect slavery at all costs and demanded a federal slave code for the territories.
Douglas’s most famous opponent was Abraham Lincoln, a lawyer and politician from Illinois who belonged to the newly formed Republican Party. Lincoln challenged Douglas for his Senate seat in 1858 and engaged him in a series of seven debates that attracted national attention. The Lincoln-Douglas debates focused on the issue of slavery and its moral, legal, and political implications. Lincoln argued that slavery was a moral evil that should not be allowed to spread any further. He also accused Douglas of being part of a conspiracy to make slavery national and permanent. Douglas defended his doctrine of popular sovereignty and accused Lincoln of being an abolitionist who wanted to incite a civil war.
The debates were widely reported by newspapers and drew large crowds. They showcased the eloquence and intelligence of both candidates, but also revealed their differences in vision and values. Douglas won the election by a narrow margin, but Lincoln gained popularity and recognition as a potential presidential candidate.
The Presidential Election of 1860 and Its Consequences
Douglas ran for president in 1860 as the nominee of the Northern wing of the Democratic Party. The party had split into two factions over the issue of slavery in the territories. The Southern wing nominated John C. Breckinridge, who supported a federal slave code and the annexation of Cuba as a slave state. The Constitutional Union Party nominated John Bell, who tried to avoid the slavery question and appealed to moderate voters who wanted to preserve the Union.
The Republican Party nominated Abraham Lincoln, who opposed slavery expansion but promised not to interfere with it where it already existed. He also supported tariffs, internal improvements, and free homesteads for settlers.
The election was one of the most divisive and consequential in American history. It reflected the deep sectional differences that had emerged over decades of political conflict. It also triggered a secession crisis that led to the Civil War.
Douglas campaigned vigorously across the country, trying to appeal to both North and South with his message of popular sovereignty and national unity. He hoped to win enough electoral votes to prevent any candidate from getting a majority and force the election into the House of Representatives, where he could broker a compromise.
However, his efforts were futile. He faced hostility from both sides of the slavery debate. Many Northerners saw him as too soft on slavery and too willing to compromise with the South. Many Southerners saw him as too hostile to slavery and too loyal to the Union.
Douglas won only one state (Missouri) and three electoral votes (from New Jersey). He came second in the popular vote with 29% behind Lincoln’s 40%. Breckinridge won 11 Southern states and 18% of the popular vote. Bell won three border states and 13% of the popular vote.
Lincoln won 18 Northern and Western states and 180 electoral votes, enough to secure the presidency. He did not win a single Southern state and received less than 1% of the vote in 10 of them.
The election results showed that the country was irreparably divided along sectional lines. The South felt that it had no voice or representation in the federal government and that its rights and interests were threatened by the Republican Party. The North felt that it had a mandate to stop the spread of slavery and preserve the Union.
Within weeks of Lincoln’s election, seven Southern states seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America. Four more followed after the attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861. The Civil War began.
The Death of Stephen Douglas
Douglas was deeply saddened and alarmed by the secession of the Southern states. He believed that it was a mistake and a tragedy that could have been avoided by compromise and conciliation. He also feared that it would lead to the destruction of the Union and the Constitution.
Douglas tried to use his influence and reputation to prevent a civil war and restore peace. He met with Lincoln in Washington, D.C., in March 1861 and pledged his support for his administration. He also urged his fellow Democrats to stand by the Union and defend it against rebellion.
Douglas returned to Illinois and embarked on a speaking tour to rally public opinion for the Union cause. He delivered his last speech in Chicago on May 1, 1861, before a large and enthusiastic crowd. He declared:
“There are only two sides to this question. Every man must be for the United States or against it. There can be no neutrals in this war; only patriots and traitors.”
He also appealed to his former Southern friends and colleagues to reconsider their actions and return to the Union:
“Pause, I entreat you, and consider for a moment what reasons you can give that will even satisfy yourselves in calmer moments—what reasons you can give to your fellow-sufferers in the calamity that it will bring upon us. What reason can you give to the nations of the earth to justify it? They will be calm and philosophical spectators of your conduct; they will see you disregarding that great principle of self-government which you have proclaimed to be fundamental in all governments—you disregard it when you secede from this Union; for you have not submitted your grievances to an arbitration at all.”
He concluded his speech with a passionate plea for national unity:
“My friends, I am going home—perhaps never again to mingle with you in these scenes; but I implore you as you love your country, as you value your own honor, as you respect the memory of your fathers, stand by this flag; protect it at all hazards; for under its folds we have lived happily; under its folds we have prospered as no other people ever prospered; under its folds we have enjoyed liberty such as no other nation ever enjoyed.”
Douglas’s speech was widely praised and circulated by newspapers across the country. It was seen as a powerful expression of patriotism and loyalty to the Union.
However, Douglas’s health was deteriorating rapidly. He had contracted typhoid fever, a bacterial infection that causes high fever, headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weakness. Typhoid fever was a common disease in the 19th century, especially in crowded and unsanitary conditions. It was often fatal if not treated properly.
Douglas’s condition worsened over the next few days. He suffered from delirium, vomiting, and bleeding. He was attended by his wife Adele, his children, his friends, and his doctors. He died on June 3, 1861, at his hotel room in Chicago.
His death was mourned by millions of Americans who admired him for his political achievements and respected him for his patriotic stance. His funeral was attended by thousands of people who lined up the streets to pay their respects. His body was buried at a temporary tomb near Lake Michigan until a permanent monument was built.
The Stephen A. Douglas Tomb is a 96-foot-high granite column topped by a bronze statue of Douglas holding an American flag. It is located at 636 East 35th Street in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. It is open to visitors who can climb up the stairs inside the column and enjoy a panoramic view of the city.
The Legacy of Stephen Douglas
Stephen Douglas was one of the most prominent and influential figures in American politics in the mid-19th century. He played a major role in shaping the nation’s policy on slavery and territorial expansion. He also contributed to the development of democracy and popular sovereignty as political principles.
However, Douglas’s legacy is also controversial and complex. He has been criticized for being too ambitious, too pragmatic, too compromising, and too inconsistent on the slavery issue. He has been accused of being partly responsible for causing or failing to prevent the Civil War.
Douglas’s views on slavery were shaped by his political interests
