This essay examines how Abraham Lincoln's Peoria address of 1854 negotiated central paradoxes in antebellum American politics in order to construct a viable framework for decisions about the place of slavery in the United States and to open a space for compromise on a volatile issue. Analysis of the Peoria address illuminates the emergence of a rhetorical framework that characterized Lincoln's rise to power, shaped many of his most significant symbolic acts and enabled him to consistently oppose slavery yet adapt his position on the issue to address evolving circumstances.
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