The pages in this section summarize available information on major historic political debates. Click on a debate year at left to learn about debate(s) that occurred in that year.

Items of note: the debates of 1858 set the stage for Abraham Lincoln's later run for the presidency; 1948 and 1956 were the only public debates among presidential candidates prior to 1960; there were no presidential debates between 1960 and 1976.

© 2004 Commission on Presidential Debates. All rights reserved.