Retrograde in History · 1859
Lincoln-Douglas debates
On January 5, 1859, Mercury was mid-loop — retrograde in Capricorn, tracing backward through 1°35′ of the sign.
WhenJanuary 5, 1859♑︎Capricorn 1°35′Rx windowDec 21, 1858 – Jan 10, 1859
The record
In 1858, Abraham Lincoln and incumbent Senator Stephen Douglas engaged in a series of seven debates to influence the Illinois General Assembly, which then elected U.S. senators before the Seventeenth Amendment.
Coincidence, not causation: the date is real and ephemeris-based, but a retrograde window is observed, never blamed. For entertainment, not navigation.