One of the main differences between Abraham Lincoln’s first and second inaugural addresses was his motivation behind each address. In his first address, given on March 4, 1861, Lincoln was appealing to the South of the Union, to try and prevent their succession from the union, while his second inaugural was a reflection of the past for years and a statement for the future. Before his election in 1861 tensions between the North and South were very high and him being elected president made them higher. In the second to last paragraph of Lincoln’s Address he says “The Government will not assail you. You can have no conflict without being yourselves the aggressors”. He is currently trying to mend the bonds with the southern states in the union
