Analysis Of Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

In his Second Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln provided one of the most memorable speeches in history that affected the way American citizens saw the war. The March 4th speech in 1865 gave more people hope for the country and allowed them to trust that God will help them through the Civil War. The people trusted Lincoln to help them through the situation because he had already served his first term as president, and the people knew he was trustworthy, so they re-elected him. Lincoln professionally used rhetorical appeals such as ethos pathos and logos to press his audience to agree, as well as tone to show his audience how importantly they should be taking the subject. Abraham’s Second Inaugural Address was an introduction to his plan for the United States for the next years he would be president, and much of it was a discussion about the Civil War and how they would bring it to an end.

When Abraham Lincoln won the presidency in 1860 the Union was divided. He accepted his presidential duties knowing that he was working with a nation that no longer remained united. Seven of the southern states had already seceded from the Union and were beginning to refer to themselves as the Confederates. What he had now were free states and slave states. When Lincoln gave his Inaugural Address he attempted to do so in a way that would not dissuade his chances of gaining support in the southern states, especially when it involved the institution of slavery. However, he also made it clear in his address that he believed a secure and united nation was of utmost importance and he rejected the ideas

By the time Lincoln delivered his 2nd Inaugural Address in 1865 he had come to the realization that perhaps God did have a stronger role in the Civil War. After the death of his son he had started to re-evaluate God’s role in the war and wanted to know what everybody was also asking which was What was God’s will in the crisis. Each side, the North and South, believed in the same God and read the same Bible, but yet were not on the same page when it came to slavery. Each believed that God was on their side and that slavery was right or that slavery was a sin. The emancipation was a religious moment because it was as if a “new heaven and a new Earth” was created, many saw it as a new beginning although it only freed slaves in the South and racism

In Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, he addresses the nation. At the end of the Civil War, both the North and South still had issues with each other. Lincoln’s speech calls both the North and South to put their problems aside that’s preventing them from getting along. In this speech, Lincoln uses tone, diction, and syntax to help reach the purpose of the speech. Lincoln’s tone encourages the Americans to finish the Civil War and the progress as becoming a nation.

Lincoln lead the nations out of the most terrible crisis. The Civil War was more bitter and protracted than anyone had predicted. The war costed more than 600,000 lives, and doubled the amount of widows, and orphans. In Lincoln’s second inaugural address, which was delivered just over a month before his death, he spoke about the war, as he had just come to understand it. Lincoln spoke about the reconstruction of the war, he then made a promise that is still promised

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.

On Saturday March 4th, 1865 president Abraham Lincoln, one month before the end of the Civil War, contemplates the effects of the Civil War and his vision for the future of the nation, through a series of rhetorical analysis rooting in logic. This being President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Speech, the audience was expecting a lengthy speech on slavery, politics, and state rights. In return, they got a speech rooted in logic. War was “dreaded by all” and both parties “deprecated war.” The south wanted to “make war” instead of letting the “nation survive,” as the North wanted to “accept war” rather than “perish” it.

“ With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured.” In his second Inaugural Address, Lincoln acclaims a speech to his audience on the topics of politics, slavery, and states rights. He also revealed the effects of the dreaded Civil war and offered his vision for the future of the nation.To achieve this purpose Lincoln uses rhetorical strategies such as imagery and pathos.

The Civil War was a period of racial injustice and a time of great loss for the people of America. During Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, he creates a moral framework for peace and reconciliation with the use of many rhetorical strategies. With a sincere but reflective tone, Abraham Lincoln highlights the reality of the troubled nation and the solution to all of the problems, which is unity. Lincoln repeats strong phrases to enhance the theme, references to a holy figure, and creates simple, yet structured ideas to achieve his purpose of reuniting the broken nation.

President John F. Kennedy, in his inaugural address speech, claims that America will unify and assert peace, in and out of the country with the help of citizens who fight for liberty and protect their country. Kennedy supports his claims by applying rhetorical devices to create a good sense of optimism and community. The author’s purpose is to encourage his listeners to stand up and help others so that America can become a better, stronger nation.

In cessation, based on background information and documents from Charles Sumner, an excerpt from the Enquirer, and an excerpt from Lincoln's First Inaugural

Abraham Lincoln uses rhetorical strategies in his second inaugural speech to achieve his purpose. His main purpose in giving the speech was to prepare the audience on what will happen as the civil war comes to an end, for example stopping the chaos and feud between the Union and the Confederates. Lincoln executed this purpose by using tone, figurative language, and the three appeals, to entertain, inform, and persuade the audience.

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

Abraham Lincoln used many allusions to other famous works such as the Bible, Pericles’ Funeral Oration, and the Declaration of Independence. Lincoln covered many themes in his speech such as freedom, equality, and representative government. The speech starts off by taking us back to the beginning of our country, a country that was “conceived in liberty (Lincoln 503).” The United States was born by revolutionists, people who had fought a war to gain and maintain independence for all people. Now, in the Civil War, the idea of independence and liberty was yet again threatened on a personal level and national

There are many lessons learned from his second address, but the most important are the first two. Students need to know many things to write a good essay. Things like courage and structure, allows for a simple thought to develop into so much more.