Stephen Douglas

(1813 - 1861)

Stephen Douglas served in the House of Representatives from 1843 to 1846, and in the Senate from 1846 until his death. Known as “the steam engine in breeches,” on account of his boundless energy, and as “the Little Giant,” on account of his small stature, he inspired one colleague to remark of him, “His legs are too short, sir. That part of his body, which men wish to kick, is too near the ground.” In 1858 Douglas engaged in a number of widely publicized debates with the Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln in a close contest for the Senate seat in Illinois.