What position were Lincoln and Douglas trying to win in the election of 1858

The debates between Lincoln and Douglas were primarily on the topic of slavery extension.

Explanation:

Lincoln was the Republican party challenger at the time of the 1858 campaign for the position of the senator of Illinois. This was to be the first major election campaign for  Abraham Lincoln which gave him credibility enough to fight for the eventual election as president.

The debates that were happening during this election were in total seven and were debated on the issue of slavery extension into the territories of the state. Lincoln had taken a stance against the proposition of extension of slavery.

the answer is solomon northrup. he was a free-born african american, abolitionist and professional violinist that was drugged, kidnapped and sold as slave in 1841 and remained in captivity until 1853 where he regained his freedom with the of the then-governor of new york, washington hunt. he wrote and published his memoirs "twelve years a slave" in 1853, and in this text, he tells the story of his escape thru one of louisiana's swamps (the great pacoudrie swamp) in which he ended up covered in green slime from crossing the surface of the dead water.