Illinois Travel Guide 2008 - (Page 21) From August through October 1853, a promising young politician named Abraham Lincoln and incumbent Illinois senator Stephen A. Douglas met in seven different towns throughout the state of Illinois to participate in a series of formal political debates that would have a historic impact on the future of the United States. he Lincoln-Douglas debates, part of a heated campaign to win a seat in the U.S. Senate, focused on the day’s issues that were of critical importance, most pointedly the conflict over slavery and states’ rights. Although Lincoln lost the election, the debates elevated him to national prominence and eventually led to his election as president of the United States (beating out Douglas for the office). The year 2008 marks the 150th anniversary of the Lincoln-Douglas debates in Illinois. Towns with links to the famed debates are planning to celebrate this important milestone with a series of events that make up COURTESY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM t Reunion Tour ’08. Actors portraying Lincoln and Douglas will meet at each of the seven original debate sites to reminisce, discuss the political tactics and historical context of the debates, and take questions from audience members. The official kick-off of Reunion Tour ’08 will be held in the town of Bement on July 26. Bement is believed to be the place where Lincoln and Douglas met to arrange the final details of the debates. From there, Reunion Tour ’08 will become the centerpiece of a weekend celebration in each community that hosted the Lincoln-Douglas debates, held close to the original debate date. It is scheduled to ABRAHAM LINCOLN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY ABRAHAM LINCOLN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY Left to Right: Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas embroiled in debate, a Douglas tribute statue, an etching of Lincoln commanding a crowd, a heart-wrenching scene at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield ILLINOIS. MILE AFTER MAGNIFICENT MILE. 21
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