On the Lincoln Douglas Debates

These debates are considered by many to be amongst the very best in U.S. history, and in a certain way they are. But they also unfortunately show just how unenlightened and bigoted that Lincoln was at this juncture; the fact that he was against blacks entering the territories, against citizenship for blacks, against any form of integration AND that he was in favor of colonization and the Illinois black codes. Look, I get it. Everyone was basically a bigot back then (including a large chunk of the abolition movement). But for folks to try and argue that Lincoln was any sort of great emancipator or an advocate of black people is absurd, and these debates prove it.............................................................................................P.S. An excellent sampling of Lincoln's statements during these debates can be heard in this excellent lecture by Donald Livingston - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5wdfV-UaLI&list=PLkHxA43ZPRYKuvXJxla5V8EMhw5tj0dCT