The year 1865 was a tumultuous time for America and politically for Abraham Lincoln. The Civil War, a loss of so many American lives, was coming to an end, but at an incredible cost. The U.S. Congress approved the Thirteenth Amendment to abolish slavery. However, this act caused the assassination of President Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth after the end of the war on April 14, 1865. In May, the remaining Confederate forces surrendered. The estimated total casualties were 620,000 American deaths. President Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address (1865) was the transition to his death, but also to the resolution of the war and the beginning of a new generation as a cooperative country.
This speech briefly explains his last four years in office …show more content…
He is addressing these topics to the American People. His purpose of this speech is to, hopefully, bring the split American people closer together, as well as to bring the Civil War to an end. Even though this speech does not bring the definite end of the war, his words opened many peoples’ eyes. Lincoln states in his first sentence that “...there is less occasion for an extended address than there was the first.” This line explains that there is no need for a long speech and he is going to briefly go over the main topic, the Civil War. In his first paragraph he walks the audience through his main point that he wants to be addressed. He immediately explains he will not be bias in his last sentence of the first paragraph, “With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured.” This line clearly states he is not going to give any predictions to the future so that no one will get offended by anything in the speech. At the beginning of paragraph two he dwells into the reluctant subject of the Civil War. He describes the sharing loath of all the citizens by saying in the second sentence, “All dreaded it -- all sought to avert it.” His fourth paragraph takes a turn to morality. He gains attention of the …show more content…
The President uses many references from the Bible to try to bring the citizens of America to common ground. In paragraph three he uses a line from the Bible, “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!’” This line refers back to when he is explaining that the outcome of the war and when that war should come to an end is not in anyone’s power besides God’s. His use of the Bible relates to his purpose because he is trying to relate to the common people of America and show that God is who is really in charge of this war. He also claims how each side (the Confederate and the Union) tried to avert away from war. However, in paragraph two, he explains, “... but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish.” His wording is very compelling, especially with the following line and last sentence in paragraph two, “And the war came.” This sentence is the most powerful sentence in the text because it shows how both sides are at fault in the war. He uses the pronoun “them” wisely so that he does not put the blame onto one side. This kind of powerful wording is what gave Lincoln his good skill of speaking and persuading to follow his intentions. His intent was
This speech briefly explains his last four years in office …show more content…
He is addressing these topics to the American People. His purpose of this speech is to, hopefully, bring the split American people closer together, as well as to bring the Civil War to an end. Even though this speech does not bring the definite end of the war, his words opened many peoples’ eyes. Lincoln states in his first sentence that “...there is less occasion for an extended address than there was the first.” This line explains that there is no need for a long speech and he is going to briefly go over the main topic, the Civil War. In his first paragraph he walks the audience through his main point that he wants to be addressed. He immediately explains he will not be bias in his last sentence of the first paragraph, “With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured.” This line clearly states he is not going to give any predictions to the future so that no one will get offended by anything in the speech. At the beginning of paragraph two he dwells into the reluctant subject of the Civil War. He describes the sharing loath of all the citizens by saying in the second sentence, “All dreaded it -- all sought to avert it.” His fourth paragraph takes a turn to morality. He gains attention of the …show more content…
The President uses many references from the Bible to try to bring the citizens of America to common ground. In paragraph three he uses a line from the Bible, “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!’” This line refers back to when he is explaining that the outcome of the war and when that war should come to an end is not in anyone’s power besides God’s. His use of the Bible relates to his purpose because he is trying to relate to the common people of America and show that God is who is really in charge of this war. He also claims how each side (the Confederate and the Union) tried to avert away from war. However, in paragraph two, he explains, “... but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish.” His wording is very compelling, especially with the following line and last sentence in paragraph two, “And the war came.” This sentence is the most powerful sentence in the text because it shows how both sides are at fault in the war. He uses the pronoun “them” wisely so that he does not put the blame onto one side. This kind of powerful wording is what gave Lincoln his good skill of speaking and persuading to follow his intentions. His intent was