Premium Essay

How Did Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

Submitted By
Words 296
Pages 2
President Lincoln gave his second inaugural address during a time period where America as a whole was in dire need of leadership and guidance. The Civil War that raged on between the North and the South almost tore this great nation apart. Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States had a vision to restore America to its former glory and to repair our broken nation. The Civil War was brutal and caused many lives to be lost; during the president’s speech he painted a picture of the battlefield where countless amounts of blood had been shed. Abraham Lincoln also provides a strong sense of moral values within his speech; he acknowledges God as the Almighty whose will must be done. There were many key issues that caused this war to begin

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Abraham Lincoln's Assassination Justified Analysis

...Many see american presidents and immediately think about Abraham Lincoln. This is completely justified considering his outstanding achievements. To start, Abraham prevented the country from falling apart. He did this by deciding to fight the south when they misconceived his notion that he would tolerate slavery only in the states that already had it. During this war is where we see Abraham truly strive as a great leader. His faith in the fairness of his pro-Union policies kept the Union alive during the darkest days of the Civil War. He was a charismatic, persuasive, moral leader who had a strategic vision of his goal, which was to bring the nation together as one again. Abraham Lincoln's foreign policy was successful in preventing other...

Words: 375 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Lincoln's Attitude Towards Slavery and Emancipation

...INTRODUCTION He survived the tragedy and depression to become America's Greatest President. He had the courage to destroy slavery, but he took a Civil War and the loss of 600,000 lives; his beliefs cost him his life, but without him the United States of America would not exist today. Abraham Lincoln, America's model hero, was a man whose courage saved the nation from destruction. His early life was poor and brutal; he was born on the 12th of February 1809 in a one room cabin in rural Kentucky, a frontier state of America. His family were farmers, he was the first of his family to read; Abraham Lincoln was different to from his friends. The young Lincoln was a child of induce curiosity, he loved to hear people, gave well crafted, well delivered speeches. He would often go to places where such speeches were being made; he memorized parts of them and he would come back and give those speeches to his playmates. It was in Lincoln's nature to embrace new experiences and when he was nineteen he had the opportunity to travel 1200 miles down the Mississippi river. It was a journey that will change his outlook of life forever. He was confronted with the realities of slavery; what he did see was probably the most horrific aspect of slavery and that was...

Words: 3275 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Raham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass: the Battle Between Freedom and Slavery

...and Linc Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass: The battle between Freedom and Slavery Kayla DeSherlia ENG/220 January 30, 2016 Alfred Badger Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass: The battle between Freedom and Slavery It was during the Civil War era that both Frederick Douglass and Lincoln fought to destroy a country that was filled with turmoil of slavery. It was then that some of the best speeches came to be. Both of these orators fought for the same thing but they were so different. Frederick Douglass was a African American that was fighting for African American civil rights through speeches such as “Why Is the Negro Lynched?” and “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” while Abraham Lincoln was fighting for unity for all within the Union and Confederate states. Both of these speakers were able to captivate their audiences through their unique tones, methods, and diction to win over the audience and gain their support. Unique Tones, Methods, and Diction for Douglass Douglass was very clear and had one purpose when it came to making speeches and that was to gain rights for the African American community. He believed in equality for all, regardless of what color they were. He was a former slave that had in fact experienced the terror of being a slave, and he had gained sympathy (1852) and credibility from his audience during “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” It was due to Douglass’ personal experiences that he was able to use pessimism and patronizing...

Words: 983 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Was Abraham Lincoln Right Or Wrong

...In the beginning of the war, Abraham Lincoln felt as though the purpose of the war was to determine right and wrong and he believed that God couldn’t be on both sides. Both sides had biblical evidence that one was right while the other was wrong, but it wasn’t possible for both sides to be correct. Eventually there would have to be a winner and there would have to be a loser. Lincoln did not want the nation to go to war though, and he certainly did not want the nation to divide. He tried to reason with both the north and the south through the Emancipation and he had wanted to find some sort of compromise as opposed to fighting and he knew that too many lives would be lost in such a war. But all was in vain; there was no compromise to be made and lives were to be lost....

Words: 706 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Lincoln and Douglass

...thrilling their audiences through powerful speeches that appealed to both emotion and logic. Frederick Douglass, a black American, fought for black civil rights through compelling speeches like “What to the slave is the Fourth of July?” depicting the terrors of slavery in graphic detail. Abraham Lincoln, on the other hand, spoke peacefully and optimistically during his Second Inaugural Address to demonstrate his desire for peace and reconciliation with the Confederate states. Both speakers captivated their audiences through compelling diction, tone, and argumentative methods to win them over and gain their support. Lincoln’s sole desire before, during, and after the Civil War was to maintain national unity. This was his job as president and the entire reason for fighting the Civil War. During his Second Inaugural Address, Lincoln reaffirmed the purpose of the war through choice diction. He stated that the South would “…make war rather than let the nation survive…” and though the he “…deprecated war…” he would accept it “…rather than let the nation perish…” Furthermore, during the course of the war, Lincoln freed all the slaves with his Emancipation Proclamation in order to weaken the South. However, he did not want the American people to think that he had altered the original objective of the war: preserving the Union. In order to demonize slavery and gain support for destroying it, Lincoln described slavery as a “…peculiar and powerful interest…” Lincoln persuaded Americans that slavery...

Words: 1259 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Why Lincoln Should Be Abolished Dbq Essay

...Abraham Lincoln is known as the sixteenth president of the United States. I’m not going to lie, going into this topic that was all that I knew about him. After learning about him and the things that he accomplished, I now feel that he was one of the best presidents that we had because he made great changes and used his power properly. I consider him a strong president because he was very passionate about his opinions, he was against slavery, and he worked hard to abolish slavery and provide equal rights to the people. As a whole, Lincoln did so much for the United States and one thing that stood out to me was that he was so passionate about his beliefs. Lincoln was so set on abolishing slavery and even had numerous debates with Stephen A. Douglas to show how much this meant to him. These debates focused on slavery and their stances on what they think of certain topics. For example, something that they discussed were general beliefs. Lincoln felt that slavery should be abolished because it’s the one thing that was putting our liberty in danger. On the other hand, Douglas felt that...

Words: 482 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Swiffer

...http://hr.blr.com/whitepapers/Staffing-Training/Leadership/10-Qualities-that-Made-Abraham-Lincoln-a-Great-Lea 10 Qualities that Made Abraham Lincoln a Great Leader By Catherine L. Moreton, J.D. Capacity to Listen to Different Points of View While researching her Pulitzer Prize winning book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, Kearns Goodwin learned that Lincoln had the capacity to listen to different points of view. He created a climate where Cabinet members were free to disagree without fear of retaliation. At the same time, he knew when to stop the discussion and after listening to the various opinions, make a final decision. Ability to Learn on the Job Lincoln was able to acknowledge errors, learn from them, and then move. In this way, he established a culture of learning in his administration, said Kearns Goodwin. Ready Willingness to Share Credit for Success In response to concerns expressed by friends about the actions of some of his Cabinet members, Lincoln stated that the "path to success and ambition is broad enough for two" said Kearns Goodwin. When there was success, Lincoln shared the credit with all of those involved. Ready Willingness to Share Blame for Failure When mistakes were made by members of his Cabinet, Lincoln stood up for them said Kearns Goodwin. When contracts related to the war effort raised serious questions about a member of his administration, Lincoln spoke up and indicated that he and his entire Cabinet...

Words: 4909 - Pages: 20

Premium Essay

Leadership Lessons from Lincoln

...April 15, 1865 the sixteenth president of the United States of America took his last breath after being assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Being the first president successfully assassinated in the United States of America would be enough to put Abraham Lincoln’s name in the history books, however his life is equally remarkable. Lincoln’s reputation as a strong leader has stood the test of time from his career as a politician and lawyer to the president who preserved the union during a crucial turning point in our nation’s history. Lincoln’s unquenchable thirst for education and self-improvement formed the foundation for the leader he later became (Austell, 2006). Lincoln’s stepmother, Sarah Bush Johnston, was the first person in his life that understood the importance of education and encouraged Lincoln in his educational efforts (Herndon & Weik, 1888). Lincoln’s quest for knowledge was a lifelong journey that continued throughout his career as a lawyer and a politician, and helped him to earn the trust and admiration of colleagues and friends (Alvy & Robbins, 2010). Lincoln’s first office for the federal government was as postmaster at New Salem followed by multiple terms in the Illinois state legislature. Over time Lincoln’s influence within the Illinois legislature grew, in large part due to his ability to draft bills and laws (Burlingame, 2008). It was during his first term in the Illinois legislature that Lincoln was first encouraged to study law by John Todd Stuart...

Words: 3117 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Lincoln

...President Abraham Lincoln appointed the best and brightest to his Cabinet, individuals who were also some of his greatest political rivals. He demonstrated his leadership by pulling this group together into a unique team that represented the greatest minds of his time, according to historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. Lincoln demonstrated an ability to withstand adversity and to move forward in the face of frustration, said Kearns Goodwin, a keynote speaker at SHRM’s 2008 Annual Conference in Chicago. She identified 10 qualities that made Lincoln a great leader. Ten qualities Kearns Goodwin believes we should look for in our present day leaders. Capacity to Listen to Different Points of View While researching her Pulitzer Prize winning book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, Kearns Goodwin learned that Lincoln had the capacity to listen to different points of view. He created a climate where Cabinet members were free to disagree without fear of retaliation. At the same time, he knew when to stop the discussion and after listening to the various opinions, make a final decision. Ability to Learn on the Job Lincoln was able to acknowledge errors, learn from them, and then move. In this way, he established a culture of learning in his administration, said Kearns Goodwin. Ready Willingness to Share Credit for Success In response to concerns expressed by friends about the actions of some of his Cabinet members, Lincoln stated that the "path to success and ambition...

Words: 890 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

American History

...Wahid Tony Bechwati June 13, 2012 Sociology 1 Movie Analysis American History X is a film about the social topic of racism and how one community is fueled by it all. The thought-provoking thing about this film is the way in which racism is portrayed. First off it is evident that, though racism is always a difficult subject to deal with, American History X presents it without any hesitations and is very blunt about the subject. Second, the film's “god” for racism, Derek Vinyard, played by Edward Norton, is not a stupid redneck racist as films often portray them, but is in fact well-spoken and smart, although he clearly holds beliefs that are horribly wrong. Finally, the film shows that it is not only the white, neo-nazi racists who are fools for being involved in this, but all those who hold hatred in their hearts. Through these methods, the film gives and inspires this idea upon the viewer, in an extremely convincingly way, that hatred and racism will destroy a person and those closest to them. It is immediately revealed to the audience at the start of the movie that there will be no holding back and there will be no beating around the bush about the realism of this intense racial theme that the movie is trying to show. The film tells the story of two brothers, Derek and Danny Vinyard of Venice Beach. Their father, a firefighter, is murdered by a black drug dealer while trying to extinguish a fire in South Central, and following the incident Derek turns bitter towards the...

Words: 678 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Leaders

...When we were assigned this assignment, I wanted to pick four leaders who I wanted to learn from. I wanted to study how they became successful leaders. I wanted to enhance my abilities from what I learned from the following four leaders. The four leaders I choose: Pope Francis, Jeff Bezos, Alexander the Great and Abraham Lincoln. I choose these four because of the style of leadership I feel they are the best in: leading by an example, being a risk taker, using strategy, and never giving up (determination). Pope Francis is very effective by setting an example. He is humble. He wants to be a Pope who for the people. He is not someone who wants fluent his position which makes him a popular Pope. He would rather drive in a FIAT 500 then a limo. (What did the leader do well ) "Francis hates any members of the clergy who sit in offices and push paper," Krames says. As a bishop in Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio (as he was then), would dress as a plain priest and go out at night to talk with people. "When he became pope he told one of his archbishops, 'I can't do that anymore, so you're going to do it for me.' He doesn't want a pristine church, he wants a church that's going out in the streets to find people and help them." Likewise, Francis famously chose not to move into the papal apartments but to remain in a guest suite at the Vatican, "to live in community with others," according to a Vatican representative. “[1] “The reformist Pope immediately set his sights on the...

Words: 2574 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Civil War

...Before the outbreak of war in April 1861, the American republic had survived diplomatic and military crises and internal stresses. It weathered tensions with France in the late 1790s, a second war with Britain in 1812–1815, and disputes regarding international boundaries. Political wrangling over economic issues such as the tariff, a national bank, and government-supported public works (called internal improvements in the nineteenth century) proved divisive but posed no serious threat to the integrity of the Union. Despite fissures along ethnic and class lines, the majority of Americans had much in common. They were white, Christian, spoke English, and shared a heritage forged in the crucible of the Revolutionary War. Questions relating to the institution of slavery set the stage for secession and war. Most men and women at the time would have agreed with Abraham Lincoln’s assertion in his Second Inaugural Address that slavery “was, somehow, the cause of the war.” Alexander H. Stephens, the Confederacy’s vice president, minced no words when he proclaimed in March 1861 that slavery “was the immediate cause of the late rupture and the present revolution” to establish southern independence.[1] The framers of the United States Constitution had compromised regarding slavery, creating a democratic republic that sought to ensure its citizenry’s freedoms while also reassuring the South that individual states would have the power to maintain and regulate slavery within their boundaries...

Words: 2066 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Accountability and Rhetoric During a Crisis

...Accountability and Rhetoric during a Crisis: Walt Disney’s 1940 Letter to Stockholders Joel H. Amcrnic UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO and Russell J. Craig AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY ACCOUNTABILITY AND RHETORIC DURING A CRISIS: WALT DISNEY’S 1940 LETTER TO STOCKHOLDERS Abstract: In 1940, Walt Disney was faced with crafting a message of corporate accountability under duress. His company, the product of his creative genius, had been forced to submit to public accountability. It had a pressing need to raise preferred equity finance for a major expansion during a period of market uncertainty, war, and reported losses. This paper conducts a “close reading” of the “Letter to Stockholders” in Walt Disney Productions’ 1940 annual report, the first such letter signed by Walt Disney. The letter’s rhetorical features, including metaphor and ideology, are examined in the context of the times. What is revealed is an accountability document skillfully crafted with the exigencies faced by Disney’s company firmly in mind. The letter offers suggestive insight to the world as Disney made sense of it. The paper contributes to understanding the use of rhetoric by top management in activities related to aspects of financial accountability and reporting. It also helps to understand better a significant public persona of the 20th century, Walt Disnev. Acknowledgment The authors wish to acknowledge the helpful comments of the reviewers. SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES Analysis of annual reports, including letters...

Words: 15612 - Pages: 63

Free Essay

Ulysses Grant

...campaign he ever fought. His plain, Midwestern w ays would captivate the American people. David W. Blight, Historian: There was something about that element of the American dream of that rags to riches story. He had experienced humiliation and he had understood failure. And I suspect a lot of Americans could see themselves in him. Donald Miller, Historian: Grant, not Lincoln was the most popular man in the nineteenth century. No question about it. Even in death Lincoln wasn't as popular as Ulysses Grant. Narrator: Twice a grateful nation elected the Civil War's greatest hero, President. But his years in the White House, marked by racial violence and scandal, would threaten to destroy all he had accomplished. Brooks D. Simpson, Historian: How could...

Words: 26235 - Pages: 105

Premium Essay

Julius Ceasar

...OUTLINE OF U.S. HISTORY OUTLINE OF OUTLINE OF U.S. HISTORY C O N T E N T S CHAPTER 1 Early America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 CHAPTER 2 The Colonial Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 CHAPTER 3 The Road to Independence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 CHAPTER 4 The Formation of a National Government . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 CHAPTER 5 Westward Expansion and Regional Differences . . . . . . . 110 CHAPTER 6 Sectional Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 CHAPTER 7 The Civil War and Reconstruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 CHAPTER 8 Growth and Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 CHAPTER 9 Discontent and Reform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 CHAPTER 10 War, Prosperity, and Depression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 CHAPTER 11 The New Deal and World War I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 CHAPTER 12 Postwar America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 CHAPTER 13 Decades of Change: 1960-1980 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 CHAPTER 14 The New Conservatism and a New World Order . . . . . . 304 CHAPTER 15 Bridge to the 21st Century . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320 PICTURE PROFILES Becoming a Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....

Words: 104976 - Pages: 420