Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address Summary

In Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, He talks about the Civil War America was facing at the time. In his speech, his exaggerative diction, allusions to the Bible, and appeals to emotion helped strengthen and portray his point of view.

He begins by observing that God has his own plan, “Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, by woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.” Lincoln justifies his position by including his own interpretation of God’s plan; God gave both the North and the South the war as “the woe due to those by whom the offense came,” the offense being slavery. The biblical allusion and Lincoln’s personal explanation creates an appeal to Christians to agree with his statement. Lincoln strengthens the appeal by reminding his audience that “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” He created a strong Christian atmosphere by referencing the Bible and enforcing that God’s plans and judgments are perpetually

Weeks of wet weather had occurred before Saturday March 4th, 1865, making Pennsylvania Avenue a thick, muddy place; however, the pounding rain did not stop the spectators from listening to Lincoln give his Second Inaugural Address, given one month before the end of the Civil War. The Civil War was the result of a long standing controversy over slavery. The North and the South did not agree with each other. Slavery in the North had died out to the point where almost all blacks were free. The South on the other hand very few blacks were free. Causing a long lastly disagreement between both sides. When Lincoln gave his speech spectators were expecting a speech on slavery when Lincoln gave a dark gloomy speech that no one saw coming. The Civil War had lasted through his passed presidency and ended five days before his death. United States President Abraham Lincoln surprised his massive audience with a very short speech in which he talked about the effects of the Civil War, and expressed his feelings toward the future of the United States. Lincoln wanted to restore faith in the nation, talking about how the war would end soon, and that the nation was going to reunite. In this short speech Lincoln asserts that the audience knows and is knowledgeable about the war, which shows that the Americans know the war was just by using juxtaposition. Lincoln addresses his opinion towards the war, and makes it clear by utilizing biblical allusion, creating a basis of mutual agreement between the North and the South.

In Lincoln’s “Second Inaugural Address”, he promotes his credibility as a way to cajole the audience. Beginning his address, he states “Fellow-Countrymen” (ln 1) invoking the feeling that he is also of their status; however, he contradicts himself by availing, “I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all” (ln 13), he exerts himself as a higher being by saying, “I trust” because if he, the President of the United States of America, believes that the country is making progress because of this war, then the audience will then too assume that the country is making progress with this war. In the second paragraph, he once again includes himself in the audience by addressing his conjectures on the war. “All dreaded it, all sought to avert it” (ln 18-19). By utilizing “all”, Lincoln enhances his point of view in which he makes the audience believe he has the same power as the general population and can do nothing more than what is currently being done. In the third paragraph, he applies biblical relations to improve his credibility in the eyes of the audience, “Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invoked His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any man should dare ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged.” (ln 42-48), he adds on by saying, “‘the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.’” (ln 68-69). This appeals to both sides of the audience. The South relies heavily on their beliefs, faith, and religion and the North

“Neither anticipated” the “conflict” it would cause. Lincoln is contemplating the results that this war will have, at this point he looks at is as now we must put war into the hands of the “almighty.” If “American slavery” is a “providence of God” then we must cease to accept it. Lincoln expresses that God gave both “North and South this terrible war.” Then goes on to logically explaining that the country is a “bondsman” and has an abundance of debt that must be “paid.” The war will not be over until every drop of “blood” has been “drawn” with the “lash” that shall be “paid.” God will not grant this war to be over until a price has been paid. Lincoln explains that the judgements of the “Lord are true” and “righteous” altogether. Lincoln conveys that the outcome of war is now in God’s hands.

Abraham Lincoln was one of the United States best presidents, accomplishing great things, one being the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862. As a government, with the help of Lincoln, we as a majority were able to agree that Slavery needed to be abolished. Not only were we able to agree, we were able to do something about it. In today’s day, we are more divided than ever before, on policy, social policy, foreign policy, race, privacy and national security, and many other things, resulting in very little getting done to better the nation.

“The pattern of the prodigal is: rebellion, ruin, repentance, reconciliation, restoration” (Edwin Louis Cole). Abraham Lincoln’s “Second Inaugural Address” is a speech that highlights every point in Cole’s quote. He, Lincoln, talks about how the south manages to rebel, how their economy will be left in ruin, how they will repent and be forgiven by both God and the North, how the North and the South will reconcile, and finally he talks of how the nation will move on to restoration. Abraham Lincoln’s “Second Inaugural Address” emphasizes the reconciliation of a torn apart nation by appealing to pathos, logos, and ethos and by using diction to appeal to the listener’s emotion.

Abraham Lincoln was faced many of the country’s issues. He wanted to make sure that country had peace and togetherness no matter what. Finally a civil war broke out between the north and south states. He battled through the war and made the announcement that, a country would not be able to exist if it is half free and half slave. Once the war was won he was able to keep the country united.

His aid against the other.” Lincoln uses religion to discern the point that while America may be divided, it is united in its morals and its ways and that no specific congregation of people is responsible for the war. He wants no ill-blood, a superficial delusion on his behalf, and he clamors for that peace by implying that the citizens must not listen and regard

The time of the speech was towards the end of the civil war, when the North and the South where still fighting after a bitter 4 year war. The battle of Gettysburg had already been fought and Lincoln had given the distinguished Gettysburg address just a few months before. He spoke of freedom, devotion, and the ideals for which he believed the Union stood. Lincoln had also already written the emancipation proclamation which had freed the slaves of the south in the previous year. The audience which

Lastly, the impact of these speeches from the establishment of war which differs to the support of Germany’s leader. While in Abraham's oratory it led to each side of the nation thinking he was to one sided in belief and helped pushed on the idea of the civil war even thought that was the opposite of Lincoln's intentions. Peterson exclaims how the audience remained silent through speech with apprehension and that the speech made Northern radicals see him as too conciliatory and the southern sympathizers see him as too firm ( Lincoln, Lincoln Delivers His First Inaugural Address, 512). Varhola explained that even after the election and speech given, the “seceding states remained recalcitrant, seizing Federal forts and arsenals in the South,

President Abraham Lincoln orated a powerful persuasive speech in his Second Inaugural Address, just one month before the end of the Civil War. This speech shed light to his contemplation of the effects of the Civil War and provided his vision for the future of the nation. Lincoln’s address was written through a logical theme that focused on the unity of the country. He used religion, specific diction, and flat-out logical thinking to convey his message. The speech was given as the Civil War was ending, and President Lincoln wanted to provide a bit of light in a very dark time. He could have given the lengthy speech that the audience expected; but instead, he gave a short message of unity that fueled the United States for years to come.

Lincoln most likely had many reasons to write this speech, but there was one main reason that stood out the most to Majerol. Lincoln signed the "Emancipation Proclamation" to transform the nature of the civil war such as, helping the Union secure victory in the civil war. In addition, it had freed the slaves in all of the confederate states but not in the Union states because he did not want to lose his support in the northern states. If Lincoln would have freed the slaves in the entire United States of America he would have lost all of his supporters in the north that had slaves. In addition he would have lost the civil war because of his lack of troops. "It authorized the enlistment of free blocks for armed service, free slaves from farms" (Majerol). Therefore, Lincoln signed the “Emancipation Proclamation” because he wanted the support of the blacks so that they could join and help them win the civil war. Lincoln signed the proclamation because he knew

Lincoln used the idea that God had sent this war as a punishment for slavery, but he also used religion to provide comfort to those who were anxious and grieving. By including these different ideas, Lincoln captures all audiences, which is critical to helping communicate his points and message. By including God and religion, it helps to unify all communities and groups by similarities, encouraging them to put aside their differences, look at their sameness and get past the hardships of

Abraham Lincoln is one of the most well known presidents in the history of the United States of America. He as thought to be the man who led this great country through the toughest times it had to encounter. His determination to get the United States through the Civil War is one of the best things that have ever happened for this country. Lincoln’s argument about the relationship between slavery, the Constitution, and the Union changed throughout the Civil War. Lincoln’s view of the purpose of the war was to save the Union because of the southern states seceding from the Union. However, the argument changed to the war being about slavery because of Fredrick Douglass’s speeches and the Confederates surrendering at