Standing Together Nobly, 1856
Standing Together Nobly, 1856
This chapter focuses on Owen Lovejoy's election to the U.S. Congress in 1856, attributing his victory to various antislavery factors working together to prevent the expansion of slavery. In response to various accusations by the opposition press against the Republicans, including the charge that they were criminals who were breaking the Fugitive Slave Law, members of the Republican Party's Steering Committee developed a new strategy. Lovejoy dubbed this “our short bob sleds” strategy. This chapter first examines the Republicans' implementation of the twin bobsleds strategy before turning to the anti-Nebraska convention held in Bloomington, Illinois, on May 29, 1856, to nominate candidates for statewide offices. It then considers the national Republican Nominating Convention in Philadelphia on June 17, 1856, along with Lovejoy's nomination as the Republican candidate for the Third Congressional District of Illinois. It also compares the campaign strategies of Lovejoy and Abraham Lincoln for the 1856 contest in Illinois and concludes by highlighting the significance of Lovejoy's triumph in the congressional elections, noting how “nobly the elements had stood together” throughout the campaign.
Keywords: antislavery, Owen Lovejoy, U.S. Congress, bobsleds strategy, Illinois, Republican Nominating Convention, Abraham Lincoln, Republican Party, anti-Nebraska convention, elections
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