This map shows the locations of Abraham Lincoln's speeches in the campaign of 1858. It shows that, with the exception of his debate appearances, he largely ignored voters in extreme southern and northern Illinois. This pattern suggests that, like Douglas, Lincoln felt confident that his ardent supporters needed little urging to vote for him, while his opponents could not be swayed by rallies and speeches. Thus Lincoln largely eschewed campaign efforts in northern counties where the Republican Party held sway and in overwhelmingly Democratic southern Illinois. Like his opponent, Lincoln concentrated his efforts upon the central portion of the state, which was populated by nearly equal groups of slavery supporters and opponents, as well as moderate Whigs and Democrats who hoped to ride out the crisis.

For more information about politics in the 19th century, please look at Lincoln/Net's Getting the Message Out! National Political Campaign Materials, 1840-1860 Web site.