Miners and Sappers: Lincoln, Conspiracy, and the 1859 Ohio Election

Though often given little attention by historians, Abraham Lincoln's speeches on behalf of the Republican candidates in the 1859 Ohio state elections have the potential to transform the way we imagine both Lincoln as an orator, as well as his path to the Presidency. This study is a close textual analysis of the two primary speeches Lincoln gave in that campaign: the Columbus and Cincinnati texts. This analysis fills a vital gap missing in the way we understand Lincoln's political activities in the years leading up to his presidential nomination. Not only were these speeches a key component in his ascension into the ranks of national party leadership, they also tell us something profound about Lincoln as an orator and political strategist. Contrary to the popular depiction of Lincoln's rhetorical trajectory, these texts represent some of the most radical and explicit claims as to the existence of a slave power conspiracy and, more importantly, Stephen Douglas's active and knowing participation in that plot.