President Abraham Lincoln delivered his Second Inaugural Address on March 4, 1865. During this time there were a lot of sensitive issues that the president would have to confront. Lincoln wanted to remain neutral at this time so he wouldn’t upset the people who might vote for him. So instead of directly pointing out his personal views and beliefs he relied heavily on the bible pointing out that “both read the same bible and pray to the same God.” He quotes, “The Almighty has His own purposes. ‘Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!’” By stating this he is trying to prove that we are all the same. As one country we are untied. After he shows that the war is affecting the …show more content…
One big way his speech stood out is he approached his speech from a different view point. Lincoln expressed “devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, insurgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war -- seeking to dissolve the Union, and divide effects, by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish.” Instead of choosing sides he supports and blames both sides. He knows that neither side wanted the war but he blames them for accepting the war and feeding into it. Also Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address was much shorter. He explained, “At this second appearing to take the oath of the presidential office, there is less occasion for an extended address than there was at the first. Then a statement, somewhat in detail, of a course to be pursued, seemed fitting and proper.” Since Lincoln had been president in a previous term the people of the United States already knew his hopes for the country and they knew that he hoped to end the war and create peace with both
Second Inaugural Address Paraphrase On March 4, 1865, 40,000 people gathered to witness Abraham Lincoln get sworn in for his second term. One of Lincoln's bodyguards states that, “he seemed to hand his words as though they were meat and drink.” Frederick Douglass also commented that the speech had been, “a sacred (holy) effort.” But little did anyone know, Lincoln was due to die a month later at the hands of John Wilkes Booth.
Therefore, Lincoln’s use of biblical allusions and the acknowledgement that America
In Lincoln’s First inaugural Address he attacks this immense problem of slavery. He begins with a promise that states that although he is a republican
Abraham Lincoln, the president of the United States addresses the nation on the date of March 4th, 1865, in order to address the Civil War. He responds to the war crisis by stating, and publicizing that the slaves needed to be free before the Civil War occurred. The war, as said by Abraham Lincoln, not only caused a split in unity between the states and citizens, but he also believed it to be a punishment delivered by God because of the treatment of the slaves. Lincoln is able to get his argument across successfully through the use of juxtapositions, allusions religion, and the use of pronouns (at the end of the speech), to create a sense of unity within the country. President Abraham Lincoln does not only address the effects and problems with the Civil War, but also what encouraged the conflict.
“There were many cheers and many tears as this noble address was concluded” (White, 2014). The indication that the speech had a powerful impact on Lincoln’s audience is important to the assertion that he was moderate and neutral in his demeanor and actions toward the South as is shows the reaction that the audience had to what was being said and how it was said. It would have been easy to take the podium and point fingers where may would have agreed blame belonged. However, Lincoln took the opportunity to deliver a graceful yet direct address that seems to had drawn many people in his audience back to a state of consideration and emotion. If nothing else was accomplished by Lincoln’s second Inaugural Address, it gave the American public a glimpse of the sort of strength that Lincoln strove for America to achieve during his
E pluribus unum, meaning “out of many, one” is the unofficial motto of the United States of America. Yet how can a nation remain united when ethnic diversity has frequently led to the Balkanization of political states? America thrives as a result of the common sense of national pride existing among citizens that stems from the idea that the United States has received divine intervention on numerous occasions, and as a result of the fact that unlike many other nations, America was founded with the purpose of being diverse and providing freedom for all. Various events throughout the history of the United States have led to the belief that the country has experienced guidance from a divine entity in order to flourish in the way that it has. This
The Second Inaugural Address was a speech by Abraham Lincoln about what he will do for the country for his second term on March 4, 1865. At the beginning of the speech he briefly talks about how he will run and that he has high hopes for the future. He spoke to the whole country about what he will do next, but what he said was brief. He has already been president for a 1st term, so he does not say much because he has already said what he wants to do for the county during his first term. Now it is his second term and gives a speech telling the country that he wants to work as a union, to respect and help the army veterans because they go through a lot.
President, Abraham Lincoln expresses, in his speech, the “Second Inaugural Address” (1865), that he is taking an oath for the second appearing of the Presidential Office. He supports his claim by first telling about how four years ago people based their votes upon the Civil War that was occurring, then he talked about slaves that contributed to the war, then he talks about that the Lord can only judge and that he chooses if the slaves will remain enslaved, and finally he talks about how we as people need to work to keep our nation good. Abraham’s purpose is to remind people about the first Inaugural Address and to encourage them to work on the nation in order to keep a good nation. He establishes a hopeful tone for his fellow countrymen.
Lincoln had an approach before the war, between the Union and Confederates, to try to calm down the seceding states and bring them back to the Union. He spoke of how "the property, peace and security of no section are to be in anywise endangered by the now incoming Administration", which at the time seemed valid. He was working his best to avoid war, and seemed to make statements that would work, and had faith that the war was preventable. In Lincoln's Second Inaugural he mentioned how "both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish, and the war came" which is saying war was unavoidable. During his early presidency he seemed to firmly believe no war was an option, later while the war raged on, Lincoln admits war was unavoidable, which is a huge change for him considering how confident he seemed before the war, laying out how he wasn't a threat, he was to only uphold the
The Civil War was a time period of social, political, and economic tensions. The North and South fought to decide whether to stop or continue slavery. Abraham Lincoln, the then president, addresses the two crowds before and after the war; however, in the second address, after the war, he uses specific literary devices to convey his message, of the need to end slavery. Abraham Lincoln uses varied sentence structure and appeals, in his succinct Second Inaugural Speech, to try to bring back harmony in the states and the abolitionment of slavery. Abraham Lincoln uses varied sentence structure to emphasize his message of harmony and abolition of slavery.
Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address Rhetorical Analysis The purpose of this speech is detailed in the time period. This speech was written/spoken at the end of the American Civil war. It is President Lincoln’s way of putting a tentative end to the war and a start to the recovery period. He is still oppressing the south in his diction when he states “Both parties deprecated war: but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish.
President Abraham Lincoln uses a variety of rhetorical strategies in his Second Inaugural Address to pose an argument to the American people regarding the division in the country between the northern states and the southern states. Lincoln gives this address during the American Civil War, when politics were highly debated and there was a lot of disagreement. Lincoln calls for the people of America to overcome their differences to reunite as one whole nation once more. Lincoln begins his Second Inaugural Address by discussing the American Civil War and its ramifications.
Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr where two men with completely different life experiences who lived in different time periods. While their lives were 100 years apart, and they each held different positions and titles in society; they both worked for equality. Both of these great and historic individuals fought tirelessly to create social change in what we now recognize as human rights. Abraham Lincoln entered his second term as President with an inaugural speech on March 4th, 1865. It was short, and promised to continue to goal of his first term, while not directly said, there was almost an apologetic tone regarding the war, a war, that was not wanted, but was necessary to secure change.
Lincoln's uses rhetorical strategy throughout his Second Inaugural Address was the use of an appeal to his audience's emotions. This is evident during his entire speech Lincoln continuously revert to religious evidence of some sort to support his claim. He says that although it may seem absurd for slavery's proponents to be allowed to pray to God, that his audience and he should “judge not that [they] be not judged,” alluding to the Lord's Prayer and appealing to his audience's Christian beliefs. He continues religion when talking about the Christians, he states, “Fondly do [they] hope, fervently do
Abraham Lincoln in the speech, The Gettysburg Address, constructs a point of achieving a "just and lasting peace" between the North and South without retribution. Lincoln supports his assertion by justifying his beliefs of unity between the states. Lincoln's purpose is to influence the people to not allow what has been done to go to waste. He wants his audience to realize that this division will only persist if no one settles the current issues in society. Lincoln speaks in a sympathizing, determined tone to address the Americans who are mourning the loss of their loved ones and to the rest of Americans who he wants to see a change from.