In-Text References

Historical References

The Kansas-Nebraska Act
Dred Scott v. Sandford
The Lecompton Constitution (38, 44)
The Election of 1856 (28-32, 43, 65-66)
The Chase Amendment (22-23)
This amendment to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, proposed by Salmon P. Chase of Ohio, argued to include language in the bill giving people the explicit power to exclude slavery from the territory. It wasn't passed—Douglas argued that the power was already there, even if not explicitly stated. During the Lincoln-Douglas debates, Douglas framed he Chase Amendment as an example of his opponents introducing legislation just as publicity stunt.

Political References

Popular ("squatter") sovereignty
The Constitution
The debate over the Kansas-Nebraska Act
President James Buchanan (28-30, 37-38, 69-72)
President Franklin Pierce (32, 72)
Silliman letter (32)
In 1857, in response to the Kansas governor's use of military force against the people during the chaotic period after Bleeding Kansas, Benjamin Silliman and forty-six other leaders in Connecticut wrote a public letter to President Buchanan condemning the action.

Biblical References

Book of Mark 32:5 (6)

References to This Text

Literary and Philosophical References

E.D.E.N. Southworth, The Hidden Hand (Source)
Southworth was one of America's early female writers, and in this story, published in 1859, she uses imagery and dialogue that seems to be pretty directly influenced by Lincoln's speech.

Historical and Political References

Frederick Douglass, "The United States Cannot Remain Half-Slave and Half-Free" (April 16, 1883) (Source)
Douglass' speech on the 21st Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation is about the state of black people in America twenty years later. He titled his speech after Lincoln's. (Source)

Barack Obama, "Inaugural Address" (January 21, 2013) (Source)

Winston Churchill, "The Old Lion" (June 16, 1941) (Source)
Upon receiving his first American honorary degree from the University of Rochester, Churchill gave this speech, which ends with this: "United we stand. Divided we fall. Divided, the dark age returns. United, we can save and guide the world!"

Pop Culture References

The Lego Movie
This brilliant film features a brief cameo by Abraham Lincoln in Lego form, speaking those famous words…well, kind of. (Source)

Cher, "Living in a House Divided" (1972)
Again, this has nothing to with antebellum period politics, although we would love to hear Cher tackle those issues, but the use of the image illustrates how famous Lincoln's idea has become. Cher (and whoever wrote the song) presumably assumed everyone would get the reference.

A House Divided (2000) (Source)
This TV movie about a southern belle dealing with finding out she's actually half Black takes its title from Lincoln's speech.