After reading Lincoln's second inaugural address, to what extent did he allude to his possible plans for the post-war United States? Also, how did this speech reflect or compare to his first inaugural address?
Check your class notes regarding his first inaugural speech and his views on the secession of the South for further reference. In addition, if you want to read the actual first inaugural address, it can be found at http://www.apstudent.com/ by clicking on the 'documents' link. Post two comments, the first being your answer to the questions asked, and the second a response to your classmates. We will have a further discussion about this on Friday during our Civil War Food Day.
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In Lincoln's second inaugural address, he focused on many of the topics that contributed to the Civil War such as slavery and the disaccord between the north and south (politically). Lincoln admitted that nobody could have predicted that the war would be very bloody and that it would last for several years. However, Lincoln alluded that after the war is over, he will do his best "to bind up the nation's wounds" and fix relations between the north and south. One might think that once the war is won, relations and interactions will go back to normal. Lincoln understood that it would take some time and a lot of patience before the north and south respected one another again.
ReplyDeleteLincoln's second speech differed from his first speech, in the sense that his second one mainly revolved around ending the Civil War. Still, both made the point that no one called the south an "enemy". In the first speech, Lincoln pointed out that he was not in office to end slavery or to belittle the southern states. He was in office to fulfill his job as president and make sure the country operated smoothly. He wanted to preserve the Union. By the time the second inaugural address is made, the president's job has shifted from preserving the nation to reuniting the nation. Both speeches are determined to keep the USA together. The last thing Lincoln wanted was a split nation.
Lincoln's second inaugural address differed from the first due to the different state of the country. During his first inaugural address, nobody even thought there would be a civil war, and Lincoln simply addressed the tensions between the North and South and acknowledged that the "house divided can not stand."-meaning he recognized the situation of slavery vs. non-slavery as more "all or nothing." During his second address, on the other hand, war had been occurring, and a lot of American blood had been shed. Lincoln has become a war president, and this role will be continued through his next term, as if he had never undergone a reelection and he was simply going on with what had been occurring. Because of the war, and actions taken because of the war and the pressure surrounding it-like the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln's second address was more specifically targeted towards topics like slavery and political divide, rather than general drift, and effects of a drift, like in the first one. Lincoln now answers the public outcry and desire for the war to end by having a promise of an end and a rebuild to follow, allowing the public to continue their faith in the re-elected war-time president. Most importantly Lincoln delivered this promise of reconstruction in a realistic manner, making it clear that reconstruction will not be easy, and everything will not simply fall back into the "norm." America will be forever affected by the civil war and what it brought to society. (As we know, many reforms regarding health care, education, slavery, women's rights, and industries like the railroad industry will be reformed or carried to a greater degree.)
ReplyDeleteChris made a good point when he mentioned the shift in Lincoln's goal for the nation-from preserving to reuniting it- which is seen through his speeches and actions. The public had seen that Lincoln was willing to do whatever it took to "preserve the union" and can now hold faith that the same intensity will continue towards reuniting it and piecing it back together. Chris also made a good point when he stated that Lincoln never coined the South as an enemy, illustrating to the public that he was fair and not bitter toward the South, while still being his careful-self.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the second inaugural address, Lincoln makes clear that he doesn't want the north to harbor hateful feelings towards the south after the war, and wants peaceful coexistence ("With malice toward none, with charity for all"). He definitely strove for "lasting peace among ourselves" as well. This speech was like his first in that it focused on preserving the Union. Both make references to slavery, but where the first talks about the fugitive slave laws, the second deals with the question of slavery itself. The second is much shorter, and its major part is at the very end. In both, he refers to the south very ambiguously. In the first, he states that "One section of our country believes slavery is right and ought to be extended, while the other believes it is wrong and ought not to be extended." In the second, he says that "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." I think he was trying to show that the north and south were both equal, and didn't want to try harassing the south for its actions. These major speeches are very respectable and the wording was well thought out beforehand by Lincoln.
ReplyDeleteIn the first inaugural address, Lincoln was making an effort to preserve the Union at all costs. He basically stated that he would take no radical stance on any matter, and would not act unless something triggered his action. He made a specific point that he was not anti or pro slavery, and that he could not and would not legally use his executive power to remove slaves.
ReplyDeleteBy the second inaugural address, this had all changed. He was no longer frightened of alienating the South, they were already alienated. There was not much to be said besides a prayer for the future. In this, he takes a mildly different stance on slavery. He still takes neither a pro nor con stance, but he also alludes to the idea that if "God wills it" (paraphrased) maybe slaves will be freed. The idea that slaves would be freed was not even an option in the first inaugural address. Now it was a genuine possibility. This shows that just mentioning abolition is no longer taboo.
Lincoln also mentions that he will fight the war to preserve the union and will not forfeit, an idea with some gaining popularity at the time. He, of course, desires an end to the war, but will not cede to the Confederacy's secession.
Classmates have raised some important points I failed to mention! Justin mentions Lincoln announces that he will bear no ill will towards the south, which is important, because how would the United States re-unite if there was open ill-will by the president? Also, Carly states that the speeches were given when the union was in two different states. In the second, Lincoln really no longer had to worry about alienating the south, and did not have to assure them of anything to stop them from leaving the United States. This changes the feel of the speech from the firs tone, which is a plea to reconcile, to the second, which states that whatever has to be done will be done in the war.
ReplyDeleteIn Lincoln’s second inaugural speech, Lincoln first discussed the state of the country as the Union and the Confederate were both struggling to fight this war that neither sides expected would cause so many deaths nor would last such a long time. During his speech, he alludes to his post-Civil war plans. He states in his closing paragraph, “…let us strive to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds…and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves sand with all nations.” Just like in his first inaugural address, he is still striving to keep the unity of America. Even more, he starts off his last paragraph with the phrase, “With malice toward none.” Similarly to his first inaugural address, even during the war, Lincoln did not consider the South to be the enemy.
ReplyDeleteDavid makes a great point about Lincoln's altered view of slavery. In his first inaugural speech, Lincoln stated that he is not for or against slavery; he was willing to sacrifice his beliefs for the sake of unity. However, as the war was in progress and the break between the Union and the Confederacy was clearly made, Lincoln takes on a different stance on slavery. This time, he states that there is a definite possibility of the eradication slavery if it is the will of God.
ReplyDeleteBoth of Lincoln's inaugural addresses focused on keeping the United States together. However, they did differ in some respects. His second speech discussed the factors that had pulled the north and south apart, like slavery and different political ideologies. Lincoln recognized that people were tired of the Civil War and all the blood that was being shed so he also referenced putting an end to the war. He alluded to future plans for reconstruction by stating that he would try to restore relations between the North and South. Despite the hopefulness this idea conveyed, Lincoln was very realistic and said that he knew this would take a lot of hard work to accomplish. Lincoln's first inaugural address was focused more on clearing up his reputation than the second speech did. The South largely saw him as a malicious threat to their way of life. Thus his speech tried to clarify that he was not out to end slavery, just to preserve the union. He did not care whether or not slavery stayed in the country. He merely recognized it would have to be one or the other for the nation to stay united.
ReplyDeleteChris brings up a good point when he states that Lincoln was careful to not refer to the South as the enemy in either of his speeches. Lincoln wanted to keep the country together, not point fingers and drive the nation further apart. Therefore, his wording was extremely well-thought out so as not to offend the South in any way. In addition, Lincoln did not want anyone in the North to view the South as their enemy because then they would not see the point in trying to reunite with them.
ReplyDeleteWhile Lincoln's inaugural addresses do focus on slightly different things, their overall themes are consistent. In his first address, he emphasized more his role as a president, explaining that he wanted to keep the country united, without war preferably. However because his second address took place four years into the destructive war, Lincoln was forced to include it in his speech. Despite his commitment to the Union, he at no time "belittles" the South, and alludes to God and the Bible to make any points about slavery. He makes it clear in a polite way that he does not agree with slavery, and that it is the overall reason for the war. Additionally, knowing the people's distaste for the war, Lincoln refers back to his first term as president, and the offset of the war saying "...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." Saying this, Lincoln lays the blame on the Confederacy for the war, implying that the Confederacy began the war, and the Union's only choices were disunion or war.
ReplyDeleteI think that everyone has gotten a similar feeling towards Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address: he wanted unity. It is the most prominent feature of Lincoln's address, and would be a successful approach to a country lying in the remnants of a terrible war.
ReplyDeleteThis desire for unity is clearly expressed in Lincoln's speech, as Chris said, by him never referring to the South as the "enemy." As a president, it shows that he is dedicated to both parts of his country, however feels that the south made the wrong decision.
I disagree with what David said about "God willing" the slaves free. Lincoln had already initiated the Emancipation Proclamation at the beginning of the year in 1863. They were already freed by the time of his second inauguration (1865). While he didn't want the public to think that his primary objective (during his first presidency) was to rid slavery, it was still one of importance. I think Lincoln believed that God punished Americans with a Civil War because of slavery. After all, slavery was one of the major causes for the war in the first place.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Lincoln’s second inaugural address, it was apparent that he was attentive to the controversy regarding slavery and how it influenced the war to further separate the differences between the north and the south. Lincoln also recognized that “neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained”. He alluded to his possible plans for the post-war United States mostly in his final paragraph. “Let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds… and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” In this quote, he implied that the Union acknowledged the war to retain our country from more detriment and after peace has been established, persist to restore our nation to its best. Lincoln’s second inaugural address differs from his first because he focused on bringing the country back together rather than just being focused on preserving the Union. Also, in his first address, he proceeded with great caution in order to not amplify more tension to the situation between the north and the south. He tried to conciliate the south and not offend them. His second address was more generally targeted upon the issue of ending the war. Essentially, in both speeches, Lincoln wished for unity, he approached his dilemmas in different ways, but in the end, all he wanted was just agreement.
ReplyDeleteTowards the end of his second inaugural address, Lincoln made it clear that he didn't want the north to have hard feelings towards the south after the war. He also state that he wanted peaceful coexistence "With malice toward none, with charity for all". He worked hard to unify the states because he knew that one country is stronger than individual states. His 2nd inaugural address was similar to his first in that it focused on preserving the Union. THey both addressed slavery, but the first talked about the fugitive slave laws, the second deals with the principals of slavery itself. The second is much shorter, and its major part is at the very end. In the first, he made a distinction between the North's attitude towards slavery and the South's attitude. In the second, he said that one side initiated the war and the other side accepted it. He was trying to show that the north and south were both equal, and carefully picked his words so that the south didn't feel bad. Lincoln put great effort into the way he worded his speeches because he wanted to be fair and just in the eyes of the people since his number one priority was to preserve the Union.
ReplyDeleteBoth of Lincoln's inaugural addresses revolved around the same concern: preserving the Union. He never takes a violent, or even ill-willed approach to addressing the South. In both cases, Lincoln speaks to the Confederacy as a missed friend or lost companion, treating them as equals. He never talks as if he were above them, realizing that sensation of holding no power was one of the major reasons why the South seceded in the first place; as always, Lincoln is careful with his words, always knowing what emotions to touch and what to avoid. But in the speech opening his first term of presidency, Lincoln does show more willingness to compromise; he wants to preserve the Union at all costs. That changes in his second speech, where although he still wants the war to end with the United States rejoined, Lincoln takes a firmer stance on issues like slavery, making it clear to the South that when they come back things will change. And by mentioning those changes, Lincoln is referring to his future plans for Reconstruction.
ReplyDeleteWhich unfortunately don't go quite the way he wished. Getting killed does that.
I disagree with what David said about Lincoln no longer having to fear alienating the South in his second speech. Even though they already had seceded, by the time Lincoln made the second inaugural speech some Southerners had begun to question the choice they had made and wondered if secession really had been the right course of action. With that kind of willingness to join the Union again, Lincoln still would've had to avoid the risk of alienation; otherwise, it would foster an "us vs. them" mentality he did not want; his goal, after all, was unity. If he made out the South to clearly be the enemy, a whole completely apart from the Union, then he would be throwing out all his principles for preserving the US.
ReplyDeleteIn Lincoln’s first inaugural address he was very conservative. All he wanted to do was preserve the Union and not try and alienate the South. All he really said was that he wanted to bring back the South and also that he would take no stance on issues such as slavery.
ReplyDeleteBy Lincoln’s second inaugural Lincoln decided that in this speech that he would make more of a stance. In his speech he talked about Anti-slavery. Also Lincoln brought up the fact of uniting the country rather than try to just preserve the Union. Lincoln quoted the Bible to try and show that everyone is the same to create a sense of togetherness. Also Lincoln alienated the South saying that although they were to blame they were still our brethren. The second inaugural address was much shorter, but it still had that short sweet and to the point feel.
I agree with Chris’s point on how Lincoln was alluding to an end to the war in his second inaugural address. In doing this Lincoln comforted the people it made them somewhat at ease since the war had started. Also what makes Chris’s point seem even more true was the fact that Lincoln was talking about the rebuilding and nursing war wounds of the nation. With this kind of attitude Lincoln made it quite clear he was ready to reunite the nation and most importantly the people.
ReplyDeleteLincoln's main goal was the preserve the union. He made it clear in his second speech that he wanted to end the war. He saw the south as fellow country men, and he believed that the war was breaking them apart. So they NEEDED to win. He would then feel like he wasn't doing his "job" as president, which is to enforce the laws and make sure that everything operated smoothly. He was also a smart man, and a realistic one. He knew that the country was not going to bounce back right after war. It would take time to recover. Especially since the war turned out to be so much worse than anybody thought it would be.
ReplyDeleteIn the first speech, Lincoln pointed out that he was not in office to end slavery or to look down upon the southern states. In the second speech, he planned more on rebuilding the country and of course, preserving the union. He knew that the south would not be happy if they won, but he felt that it was necessary to "show them who's boss" and make sure that they don't ever try to secede again.
I like what carly said about Lincoln being a war president. It's important to understand that Lincoln didnt know if he was going to be reelected. So most of his goals were crammed into a 4 year time period. But since he got reelected, he was able to expand on his goals. In his first speech, he didnt take a definitive stance, but he eventually passed the emancipation proclamation later on in his term. He tries to end the war to preserve the peace and the union. In the beginning when he was fairly conservative, he realized that it didnt work. He could appease both sides, so he had to "lay down the law".
ReplyDeleteIn Lincoln’s second inaugural address, he recognizes the fact that the Civil War turned into something that was completely unexpected. No one anticipated the duration and the amount of mayhem that this war actually consisted of. With so much conflict, sorrow, and despair, Lincoln’s address created a sense of hope for the people and the nation. Lincoln stated how he wanted the war to end as soon as possible and that when it was over reconstruction would take place. When saying this, he did not just tell the public what they wanted to hear and set unrealistic goals. Lincoln told them the truth and said how reconstruction would not happen in a day and it would take a lot of time and effort, sometimes things need to get worse before they get better. Although the position in which the country was in differed greatly, Lincoln’s first and second inaugural speeches were quite similar. Even though a civil war was just fought and the Confederacy created an immense amount of problems for the Union and the country, Lincoln never once referred to them in a negative way. He acted graciously towards them just as in his first speech and treated them equally as friends of his. Lincoln wanted nothing more than to make the relationship between the north and south strong and for them to be united, therefore had this same consistent goal throughout his presidency.
ReplyDeleteThe only true plans that Lincoln alludes to are at the very end of his inaugural speech, and even those are pretty vague. Essentially, he just says that no one should be blamed and everyone should try to help one another. He also brings God back into the picture as he had done earlier in the speech, saying that He will light up the correct path for them. Overall, he is just saying that they should start trying to rebuild America. Asides from that, no other post war plans were proposed. The rest of the speech just dealt with justification for the war, essentially laying the blame on nobody and trying to put emancipation into a better light.
ReplyDeleteThis speech does differ greatly from his first one, both in length and in content. His first speech was written in tough times where Lincoln was just trying to preserve the union. Therefore, he said many things about not touching slavery and how it would be unconstitutional for him to do so. This is a stark contrast to what his later actions revealed and it seems like he just said “Screw it, we’re winning, let’s free al the slave!” Then in the second inaugural address, slavery is printed everywhere. First, as the cause of the war and second, as the sin of our country that we had to pay in blood for and other things. Overall, the first speech avoided slavery while the second one had it printed everywhere.
Lincoln first speech was mainly made in order to preserve the union. This is one reason why this speech was a lot longer.He had to make more points and make himself more clear on his goals and motives. the second speech is a lot shorter mainly because Lincoln has been through an entire war and he really didn't need to say much more on his goals. The second speech was also a lot different. Lincoln talks about religion a lot more. this was probably done because he wanted to mention a topic that the union and confederates agreed on. The majority of these sides believed under the same god and this was a strategy for Lincoln to get the south and north to agree on a topic. another reason why he probably made his speech short because he wanted to make his speech less controversial. The less points he has, the less of people complaining on his plans. this is another reason why he mentioned religion because that is a topic that wouldn't be that controversial.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Marco that Lincoln did not want to blame anyone for what happened to the country. Although Lincoln may have been frustrated and angry at the Confederacy for their rebellious actions which caused the country to break apart, he never referred to them in a negative light. This shows that Lincoln was always thinking ahead. He knew that if he regarded the Confederacy as anything less than rebels they would not want to come back into the Union. If Lincoln constantly put them down, not only would they not want to join but the Union would have even more harsh feelings towards them and resist their coming back and making the nation united again. Lincoln always watched what he said, trying to please everyone.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that basically everyone on here agrees that Lincoln ultimately wanted peace and unity. In addition, the change from just preserving the Union to reuniting the nation was also apparent in Lincoln’s two speeches. He strategically talked about slavery and the political division in his second address. Furthermore, he contained a clear desire for reconstruction and repair for our country following the war. Lastly, I agree with many people that Lincoln never showed bitterness towards the south or called them an actual enemy. He was clear with his words and cautious to not affront them in any way because in the end peace was the goal/aim Lincoln had in mind.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I noticed about Lincoln's first and second inaugural speeches is that both of them end with peace, whether they are talking about evading war or battling through war in order to achieve it. Peace was ultimately Lincoln's goal, and it had remained consistent between his first address and his second address. This shows that Lincoln was actually sincere in what he was saying; his ideas are genuine and honest. Every time he addresses the nation, he address it as a whole, with words like "my fellow countrymen" that include both the Union and the Confederacy so it isn't as though he's favoring either side; he sees everyone as a part of a united nation and an equal body of people. Lincoln always tries to make the North and South realize that they are of the same people, they are all American, not Northern and Southern or Union and Confederate. He references the bible in his second address, saying that both sides read the same bible and worship the same God, revealing their similarities and how they should both get along if they have these similar beliefs, and even if they don't. I think Lincoln used his inaugural addresses well, and he was careful to word them both so that nobody was offended or made into an enemy in any way. Clearly what Lincoln wanted was for the conflict to be settled, whether in war or with negotiation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Scott's mentioning that Lincoln did take a firmer stance in his second address when it came to the issue of slavery. This was probably because at the time of his first address, it was more beneficial for him if he didn't come right out with his opinion on the matter of slavery since everybody automatically assumed that he was going to wipe it off the face of the nation completely. He knew that if he said he didn't like slavery, it would be blown out of proportion and everyone would believe even more that he was an abolitionist president. But if he said that he was perfectly okay with slavery, then the abolitionists and other anti-slavery people who supported him would support him no longer. Instead of saying taking either of these sides in his first address, Lincoln sorta pulls an oops and fills in for his mistake.
ReplyDeleteBoth of Lincoln's speech's were meant for the preservation of the Union. In Lincoln's first address Lincoln is quick to mention that he does not want succession from the southern states. Which is a reason why the first speech was longer. In the second speech he is speaking more about how the country will come together afrter the north wins the war. Also worth mentioning is that Lincoln never put the south in a negative light. He never at all threatened the south and always reffered to them respectfully. He wanted to make peace in the first address and in the second address was similar except it was more on how the country will be after the war. In the second address Lincoln is basically saying that neither side wanted the war to begin, neither side knew how long it would last, and neither side is willing to admit that they are wrong. Lincoln alludes that in the future both sides will come together and that the north and south will be become one again.
ReplyDeleteEveryone seems to beleive that the first and second address is about unifying the county again. I also agree with David that Lincoln also refers to the slaves and God. It shows how the war changed a little from the begining when the war was suppoesed to be about preservation of the union. Lincoln's second address shows that it was not only about that but it was also about the slaves. That one day the slaves might be free. Whlile preserving the union was the ultimate reason for the war it cannot be forgotten that slavery played a big part in it too.
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree with Jenna's statement that the two speeches were similar. They differed in many aspects, especially the content. Although they both focus on avoiding the blame game, the similarities really end there. In the first speech Lincoln completely avoids slavery as a subject but in the second one, it is pasted everywhere as his goal switched from preserving the Union to ending slavery. His tone is also much different as in the first one he is offering assurance that everything is fine but in the second one he is saying that this war was a plague from God for the sins of slavery. All these differences prove that the two speeches were not similar.
ReplyDeleteReading the speech you can see Lincoln hinting on what his plans were for reconstruction. His speech was almost speaking to the confederates. He spoke to them almost as a friend who has be behaving badly rather than enemies. This showed that Lincoln was still focused on the original purpose of the was, to bring the north and the south back together. It was also interesting how short the speech was. It was straight to the point and did not bob around the subject, it further shows what Lincolns main focus still is.
ReplyDeleteWhat stood out to me the most in Lincoln's second inaugural address was how Lincoln, even though they were in the middle of a civil war, still addressed the Confederacy as countrymen, and still told the North that they should bear no ill will towards the south, because if the union won, they would still have to reunite with the south and coexist. In his first address, he didn't even know if there was going to be a civil war, and now hes in the middle of trying to make the country peaceful again. Lincoln in his second address also talked about abolishing slavery, and also reconstruction, which were two important steps in preparing for the future after the war.
ReplyDeleteI like what Marco said. The second speech really shows how Lincoln hates this war and just wants it to be over. The first speech did not talk about slavery at all but now Lincoln is talking about slavery now that it has become one of the driving forces behind the civil war. Because the second speech is shorter it also may be showing how tiring this war has been for Lincoln. Lincoln wants this war to be over and now with his second term he can begin preparing for Reconstruction.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Rebecca said about how the north needed to win in order to keep the country together and how Lincoln needed to do his job properly which would ensure that the country stayed together. Several other people also mentioned how Lincoln made sure that he didnt talk like he was superior to the Southerners, and how the Union needed to show respect to them, and how Lincoln's job was to not only preserve the Union but to be a good leader to everyone.
ReplyDeleteLincoln’s second inaugural speech differed greatly from the first. In his first inaugural speech, he focused on the topic of preserving the Union at all cost. Even though there were huge tensions between the North and the South, Lincoln thought that it should remain unified regardless of what their differences were. He recognized that it may be difficult to get along but one side would have to choose because if they were divided, the country would not be able to survive. In his second speech, he focused on reconstructing the Union and rebuilding the unity that once existed. He does not target or blame the Union or the Confederacy and tries to make them seem like they are one. He could not consider them an enemy because they were part of the same country and would not help in the unification process if one side was isolated as the enemy
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Marco said about how both of Lincolns speeches were very vague. He didnt want to place the blame on anyone and did not want to offend anyone. He spoke of general goals, like preserving the union, rather than give specifics.
ReplyDeleteLincoln's second Inaugural Address was slightly different from his first, the main reason being that now he had experienced the Amercan people and he knew what do and he was truly prepared to deliver an honest speech.
ReplyDeleteLincoln addresses always had many sensitive subjects as well such as the equality of all people, his belief that the slaves had to be freed.
After reading Lincoln’s second inaugural address, Lincoln’s approach to the post-war United States was very careful and precise. He alluded to the fact that when the war was over he would do everything he could to help salvage the Union and help fix the relationship between the Union and the Confederacy. He wanted to make sure that they understood that they were brothers, not enemies and that no matter what had happened during the war, it was time to rebuild the nation, the Union, and to move forward with the country. Lincoln understood that he couldn’t afford to alienate the South as they would feel like nothing had been accomplished since the beginning of the war. The South had initially felt like they had no voice and if Lincoln restricted this again, another war would’ve broken out as well.
ReplyDeleteLincoln’s speech differed greatly from his first speech in that the second was focused on addressing the public and their wish to end the war. They wanted an end to the fighting and the deaths as well as the promise of rebuilding the nation. The address was also more focused on issues like slavery and the political divisions that had occurred in the meantime, rather than focusing on a generalization. Lincoln was careful to say what needed to be said if he didn’t want to face a backlash of anger later.
Jenna made a really good point that Lincoln’s address created a sense of hope in light of the war. The address was this speech that wanted to bring the Union together even though in so many ways, the two had been driven apart by differences and fighting. This was Lincoln’s chance to show them that there was still hope for rebuilding the Union into a bigger, better, version that would include the South more so than before. It was interesting to see that Lincoln could be so inspiring even though such a tragic conflict was occurring around the same time.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Emily with how she said that it was important for Lincoln to talk about the south a lot because if the south thought that they had no voice, then another war might break. In lincolns speech, he mentions religion a lot. this was probably a strategy to try to connect the south and the north a lot. this is because they both had similar religious beliefs, and they both generally believed in the same god. Him talking about this might cause more positive interactions with the north and the south.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jimmy that it seemed like Lincoln was actually addressing the Confederate citizens themselves. Like Derek mentioned, Lincoln never actually referred to the South negatively, and this was because he didn't want to increase their hostility towards the North. His main aim was to decrease tension and stretch an open hand to the South to let them know that they would be welcomed back into the Union after the war was over, and his wording reflects this.
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