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Stephen Arnold Douglas (April 23, 1813 - June 3, 1861) was a politician in the United States in the period leading up to the American Civil War. A Democrat, Douglas's career closely coincided with that of Abraham Lincoln (a Whig, later a Republican), and the two were lifelong rivals. They ran against one another in elections for a wide variety of elected offices and even competed for the hand of Mary Todd.
In 1858, Lincoln and Douglas faced off in a legendary Senatorial debate, in which Lincoln forced Douglas to choose between maintaining his advocacy in popular sovereignty and supporting the Supreme Court's recent Scot v Sanford decision. Douglas chose the first option, and rejected the Scot decision.
It was partly for the latter reason that, in 1860, the Southern wing of the Democratic Party refused to support him as the national Presidential nominee. The impromptu Southern Democratic Party chose incumbent Vice President John Breckinridge as their candidate.
Douglas urged the South to accept Lincoln's election, and denounced secession as criminal. He promised to support Lincoln during the American Civil War, ensuring that the war would be a bipartisan effort.
Douglas died of typhoid on June 3, 1861, about a month and a half after the Civil War began.
Stephen Douglas in Southern Victory[]
Southern Victory POD: September 10, 1862 | |
Type of Appearance: | Posthumous references throughout series |
In later generations, many Americans believed Stephen Douglas to have been a reasonable man who could have prevented the War of Secession had he won the 1860 election. However, this notion was not necessarily realistic, given the political conditions of the time, and Douglas' own record for acquiescing to Southern interests.
Douglas was not so well-regarded among his contemporaries. For instance, when Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass were debating Lincoln's intent to revise the platform of the Republican Party, Lincoln quipped that after all these years he was once again in "a Lincoln-Douglass debate," in reference to his 1858 Senatorial debate against the Little Giant. Douglass testily informed Lincoln that he did not appreciate being compared to Douglas.
One Ohio family named their son Stephen Douglas Martin after the Little Giant whom they admired.
Stephen Douglas in "Lee at the Alamo"[]
"Lee at the Alamo" POD: December 13, 1860 | |
Type of Appearance: | Contemporary reference |
Political Office(s): | United States Senator from Illinois |
When Benjamin McCulloch appealed to Robert E. Lee's Southern identity, to support the right of Texas to secede from the United States before the inauguration of President Abraham Lincoln, Lee privately reflected that he would have preferred for any of Lincoln's three opponents (Stephen Douglas, John Breckinridge, or John Bell) to have won the election. Nevertheless, he was determined to perform his duty to the Federal government no matter who headed it.
Stephen Douglas in The Disunited States of America[]
The Disunited States of America POD: July, 1787 | |
Type of Appearance: | Posthumous reference |
Nationality: | Unknown state in North America |
Date of Birth: | Unrevealed |
Date of Death: | Unrevealed |
Stephen Douglas was a prominent figure in an alternate where the United States fell apart during the early 1800s. When Beckie Royer observed that Justin Monroe (who was really from the home timeline) acted as if he'd never heard of the rounders player George Herman, Ted Snodgrass cited Stephen Douglas as a person, like Herman, that everyone had heard of.
Stephen Douglas in The Two Georges[]
The Two Georges POD: c. 1763 | |
Type of Appearance: | Posthumous reference |
Nationality: | North American Union |
Date of Death: | Unrevealed |
Political Office(s): | Governor-General of the North American Union |
During Stephen Douglas' tenure as Governor-General, the North American Union expanded its borders past the Rocky Mountains. In 1995, his portrait was one of a number of former Governors-General displayed in America's Number 10, the Governor-General's residence in Victoria.[1]
Literary comment[]
While G-G Douglas' first name is not given, the description of him as "short, roly poly" is consistent with the general appearance of the historical Little Giant.
See Also[]
- References to Historical Figures in Turtledove's Work for more minor references to Douglas in Turtledove's work.
References[]
- ↑ The Two Georges, p. 430 PB, 281 HC.
Political offices (OTL) | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by New District |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 5th congressional district 1843–1847 |
Succeeded by William Alexander Richardson |
Preceded by James Semple |
United States Senator from Illinois 1847-1861 |
Succeeded by Orville H. Browning |
Party political offices (OTL) | ||
Preceded by James Buchanan |
Democratic Party presidential candidate 1860 (lost) |
Succeeded by George McClellan |
Political offices (The Two Georges) | ||
Preceded by Last known is Andrew Jackson |
Governor-General of the North American Union Mid 19th century |
Succeeded by Next known is Martin Roosevelt |
Party political offices (Southern Victory) | ||
Preceded by James Buchanan |
Democratic Party presidential candidate 1860 (lost) |
Succeeded by Next known is Samuel J. Tilden |
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