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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHey, Virginia lawmakers, the Lincoln-Douglas debates did not involve Frederick Douglass
The Washington Post is having fun here
Link to tweet
It was a clear reference to the famed Lincoln-Douglas debates, one of the high points in this countrys intellectual, moral and civic history, but theres just one problem: Lincoln did not debate Frederick Douglass.
By Friday morning, Frederick Douglass was trending on Twitter, and the bill had been withdrawn.
Link to tweet
......The Lincoln-Douglas debates took place in the late summer and fall of 1858, when Lincoln was the Republican candidate for Senate challenging Democratic incumbent Stephen A. Douglas. At the time, senators were chosen not by popular vote but by state legislatures; their respective campaigns were designed to help their parties win control of the Illinois legislature, which would then install one of them as senator.
abqtommy
(14,118 posts)mahatmakanejeeves
(57,490 posts)grumpyduck
(6,240 posts)Unfortunately, some people will believe it.
AZSkiffyGeek
(11,029 posts)I knew Frederick was wrong, but I couldn't remember Stephen right away. I think there is a "Mandela Effect" thing with this - but it's probably just bad history education in the US.
grumpyduck
(6,240 posts)You'd think he would at least look it up.
patphil
(6,182 posts)if there were Lincoln-Douglass debates back then it would have been several orders of magnitude more historic.
Imagine, a former slave representing the Democratic Party in his debates with Lincoln!
This is what happens when ignorant people get into government.
keithbvadu2
(36,829 posts)underpants
(182,829 posts)Vinca
(50,278 posts)DeeNice
(575 posts)I wasn't aware that our 16th president was involved in the founding of our nation.
ProfessorGAC
(65,076 posts)...Lincoln helped write the constitution when he was negative 20 years old? What was your schools teaching?
keithbvadu2
(36,829 posts)Mr.Bill
(24,303 posts)He likely has a staff that assisted in writing this law. And none of them caught it.