Bryant Cottage State Historic Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bryant House
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 Frances E. Bryant House
Location in Illinois
Frances E. Bryant House
Location in the United States
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| Location | 146 E. Wilson St, Bement, Illinois |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1856 |
| Architectural style | vernacular, hall-and-parlor |
| NRHP reference No. | 100001566 |
| Added to NRHP | September 5, 2017 |
The Bryant Cottage State Historic Site is a simple four-room house in Bement, Illinois. It was built in 1856. Today, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources protects it. This house shows what pioneer homes in Piatt County, Illinois looked like. It's also a very important place linked to the famous 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates.
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Meet Francis E. Bryant: The House's Builder
Few people lived in southern Piatt County, Illinois, until the 1850s. That's when the railroad arrived. The land was flat and open, with not many trees.
Francis E. Bryant came to Bement in 1856. He had some money and quickly used it to start businesses. He was a banker and a store owner. He bought grain from local farmers. In return, he sold them lumber and coal.
Bryant was a member of the Democratic Party. He was also a friend of Senator Stephen A. Douglas. Douglas was running for re-election in 1858. Bryant helped organize support for Douglas during this important election.
Bryant was elected to the Illinois Legislature twice. First, in 1853, he represented Schuyler County, Illinois. Then, 20 years later in 1873, he represented Champaign County, Illinois and Piatt County, Illinois.
The Great Debates: Stephen A. Douglas's Role
In 1858, Stephen A. Douglas was a U.S. Senator from Illinois. He didn't expect to campaign directly to the people. Back then, state lawmakers chose senators, not voters.
But the election of 1858 was special. There was a big disagreement about American slavery. Both Democrats and the new Republican Party felt very strongly. They wanted their candidates to campaign directly to the people of Illinois.
The Republicans chose Springfield, Illinois lawyer Abraham Lincoln. On July 24, 1858, Lincoln wrote to Douglas. He challenged Douglas to have nine debates across Illinois. They met in person on July 29 on the Bement-Monticello road, now Illinois Route 105. Lincoln challenged him again then.
Douglas was traveling south to Bement at the time. He planned to spend the night at the Bryant Cottage. During this one-night stay, Douglas decided to accept most of Lincoln's challenge. He agreed to debate Lincoln seven times.
On the morning of July 30, Douglas wrote to Lincoln from Bement. He suggested they debate in Ottawa, Freeport, Jonesboro, Charleston, Galesburg, Quincy, and Alton, Illinois. Lincoln agreed to these terms in a letter dated July 31.
Abraham Lincoln: The Challenger
In July 1858, Stephen A. Douglas was an experienced U.S. Senator. Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer. He had not held many successful political jobs.
Illinois Republicans chose Lincoln to run against Douglas. They picked him because he was a great speaker. He could talk about the issue of slavery in a way that showed he was against it. But he did so without upsetting voters who held different views.
Douglas had reasons to avoid Lincoln's debate challenge. As the current senator, more people knew his name. But Douglas chose to debate because he agreed with Lincoln that slavery was a growing problem. He believed his idea of "popular sovereignty" could solve it. Popular sovereignty meant people in new territories could decide for themselves if they wanted slavery.
At first, Douglas seemed to win. His party's candidates won in November 1858. This meant Douglas was re-elected as U.S. senator. However, Lincoln and Douglas faced each other again. This time, it was about slavery in the 1860 U.S. presidential election. In that final contest, Lincoln won.
The Cottage Today
The Bryant Cottage State Historic Site was temporarily closed. This happened from October 2008 to April 2009 due to state budget cuts. It reopened to the public on April 23, 2009.
In September 2017, the Bryant Cottage State Historic Site was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was recognized for its unique "hall-and-parlor" style of architecture. It was also honored for its important link to the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas Debates.
