SXU Professor Discusses Political Career Of Stephan A. Douglas

EVERGREEN PARK, IL -- A Saint Xavier University professor will screen his film about Stephen A. Douglas, perhaps best known as Abraham Lincoln’s Democratic opponent in the 1860 presidential election, at the Evergreen Park Public Library. Professor Graham Peck will present “Stephen A. Douglas and the Fate of the American Democracy.” The present starts at 6:30 p.m. May 10. The screening is free but registration is required.

Peck examines the political career of Douglas, who was voted into the U.S. Senate in 1846 until his death from typhoid fever in 1861, how it shaped the fate of America and Abraham Lincoln’s rise to the national stage. Known as the “Little Giant,” (Douglas was only five feet tall), he supported states having the right to decide for themselves if they wanted slaves, including new western territories.

Discussion of the film and a question-and-answer session follows the screening. Peck will also sign copies of his latest book, “Making America An Anti-Slavery Nation: Lincoln, Douglas and the Battle Over Freedom,” will be available for purchase and signing. The Evergreen Park Public Library is located at 9400 S. Troy Ave.

Image via Evergreen Park Public Library