Which of the following best states the central disagreement between abraham lincoln and stephen douglas on the issue of slavery? a. whether it should be abolished b. whether it should be discouraged c. whether it should be permitted to spread d. whether it should be legal across the us

The correct option is C

Stephen Arnold Douglas was an American politician from Illinois. He was a representative of the USA, senator, and candidate for president by the Democratic Party in the 1860 elections, losing to Republican Abraham Lincoln. Douglas had previously defeated Lincoln in a dispute in the Senate, known for the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858. He was nicknamed the "Little Giant," because although short in stature he was a powerful and dominant figure in politics.

Douglas was known as an ingenious, skilled, tactical, clever, and effective party leader in the debate and passing of laws. He was a great defender of democracy, firmly believed in the principle of popular sovereignty, especially in issues such as slavery and territorial expansion. As president of the Territories Commission, Douglas dominated the Senate in 1850. He was largely responsible for the 1850 slavery agreement, which apparently solved problems arising from slavery. However, in 1854 the question of slavery was reopened with the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed slavery in some territories where it was previously forbidden, leaving the election to popular sovereignty. Opposition to this law led to the formation of the Republican Party.