The Lincoln Douglas Square in Alton, Illinois is the site of the last of seven debates held between Abraham Lincoln and Steven A. Douglas in 1858 when they both were campaigning for one of Illinois' two US Senate seats. Each debate lasted three hours long and were held in each of Illinois' seven Congressional Districts. Lincoln was relatively unknown at the time while Douglas was an incumbent. Even though Lincoln lost the election, the debates brought national attention to him and to his anti-slavery views, so much so, that in 1860 Lincoln won the presidential election against Douglas. In the square, visitors will find life-sized bronze statues of Lincoln and Douglas posed in the middle of the debate. The Lincoln Douglas Square is free and open to the public.
Lincoln Douglas Square
Broadway and Market Streets
Alton, IL 62002
Alton, Illinois Website, Full transcript of the debate - National Park Service Website