Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address Analysis

United States president, Abraham Lincoln, in his speech, “Second Inaugural Address” (March 4, 1865), addresses the conflict of the civil war. Lincoln believes that the war begun due to slavery and that it does not have to conquered by fighting fire with fire. He supports his claim by first addressing the opposing views of the war. He then states how both sides searched for a way around the conflict. Finally he speaks about what proposes shall be done during that time of war. His purpose is to address the conflict that risen and caused the civil war, how it will be dealt with and inform the citizens of the United States of his proposition. He adopts a solemn tone as he portrays his message throughout the majority of the passage and transitions into a more shocked tone as he speaks of how other are dealing with the ordeal as if to say, “Can you believe the way we’re behaving?”

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

On March 4, 1865 Abraham Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address as president of the United States. The inaugural address came at the very end of the American Civil War, and just a month before the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Prior to this address, the United States had been split into two different independent states, the Union and the Confederacy. Throughout Abraham Lincoln’s first term and the very beginning of his second, Lincoln had to deal with the secession of the eleven states that made up the Confederacy. Also during the war, Lincoln competed in the 1864 presidential election in which his leadership was challenged by George B. McClellan. This inaugural address was important at the time, and remains a relic of Abraham Lincoln’s powerful speaking ability.

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.

In the Second Inaugural Address, Lincoln demonstrated that his point was to unify the nation. Because the North and South were so belligerent to each other, the nation split apart, causing the Civil War. As a result, it was Lincoln’s aim to unite and strengthen his divided nation. Lincoln knew and reflected on the hardships both parties endured and called upon the nation to leave behind their bitterness and resentment. Then, he ordered the North and South to come together as one nation and treat each other “with malice toward

Lincoln talks about his presidency and what happened, the division of everyone and slavery. This happened March 4th, 1865 after Lincoln’s inauguration. The purpose is to lay the foundation of unity in a nations stricken and divided by cultural and ethical differences. Some of the feelings people were feeling are; neutral, somber, and

On March 4, 1865, Abraham Lincoln delivered a speech to discuss the possible effects of the Civil War and to give advice for the future of America. His tone is neutral because he just wants to inform his audience (of American women, children, slaves, free African-Americans and some men who were not fighting in wars) about the possible outcomes this war will bestow upon them.

Though his second inaugural speech was among the shortest in history, Lincoln spoke volumes within it. The Civil War was not an easy one, and had an astounding amount of deaths, but despite the ups and downs, Lincoln persisted relentlessly with the importance of seeing the war through to the end. It is within his second inaugural speech that we can get a clear view into his psyche and understand a bit better why he was so passionate. Towards the end, he states,

I am just a simple man from the south, trying to live an honest life. But it is difficult when the people up North are making everything in favor for them. They think that because they are above us they can control us, when we are under a “Constitution” that is supposed to make everything fair for us all. Let me tell you one thing, we are not the kind of folks to just lay still and let people walk over us because they come up with a piece of paper saying that they voted and decided that they can do this and that. Well we finally wised up and caught up with their acts and antics. We created our own piece of paper that says what we do is okay.

Typically when people think of Thomas Jefferson an image of an anti-slavery, patriotic president comes to mind, not a one who promised more than he could do. Elected in 1801 Thomas Jefferson was the first Republican to be president, unlike his predecessors George Washington and John Adams. Despite the big shoes to fill, he focused on leading the country with a few goals in mind: peace, prosperity, and simplicity. In his Inaugural address he made these ideals transparent by promising to maintain amity with other nations, create justice for all, and rule constitutionally. However, these goals seemed to be loftier than he anticipated. Jefferson wasn’t able to achieve his goals outlined in his Inaugural Address by the end of his presidency because of his failure to execute his ideas for friendly international relations, justice and equality for all, and directly following the Constitution.

In Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address, he begins voicing that there is no need for him to have such an extended address just as he did the first time. Before his four years in office, there was that necessary detail of what he felt must be pursued, but now he feels as though there is still yet to be pursued as he had wished before. The public knows as much as himself when it comes to the progression of the military, and he believes is satisfactory with entailing of high hopes for the future.

The author’s message was to inform the reader about Franklin D. Roosevelt first inaugural address, given on March 3, 1933. Franklin’s referred to the government and how they should get into action to put the “national house in order”. He suggested that this information would balance income of the devastation of the stock market crash of 1929, he was trying to convince America to not be fearful of the economic crisis and to fight the battle. President Franklin D. Roosevelt tried to calm many Americans down who were terrified of this horrible catastrophe and would pass to address the national economic emergency. The message is explicit because it gives valuable reasoning of the President Roosevelt actions towards helping America at its worst

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.