Explain the circumstances of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Who was involved and why were they important?

Douglas was in the midst of a massive feud with the Buchanan administration and the Democratic Party bosses over the Lecompton Constitution, which seriously affected his chances of being re-elected. The Lecompton Constitution was a state constitution for Kansas that illegitimately used popular sovereignty to push through a pro-slavery constitution that did not represent the will of Kansans. Douglas also faced an enormous backlash in the North for the Kansas-Nebraska Act, so by coming out against the pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution, Douglas highlighted that popular sovereignty could be used to restrict slavery in the territories, which pleased his those constituents who supported anti-slavery measures. In contrast, Lincoln was a relatively unknown, “prairie lawyer” with only one term in Congress under his belt, which he served over a decade prior to his senatorial candidacy. Lincoln was also a member of a relatively new anti-slavery party—the Republican party. Despite Douglas’ fame, and Lincoln’s lack of it, for Douglas to achieve victory in this contest required some campaigning, which led to the debates.

What are the statements?