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| Inauguration at the End of
the Civil War (Lincoln's Second
Inaugural) |
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Abraham Lincoln’s
second inauguration came one month before the end of the Civil
War
in March of 1865. Looking ahead to a post-war America,
Abraham Lincoln made a plea to the nation to
move forward “with malice toward none; with charity for all.”
Selection From Lincoln's Second
Inaugural Address: “With malice toward none,
with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God
gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish
the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to
care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his
widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and
cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and
with all nations.”
 Complete text of Abraham Lincoln's second
inaugural address
 Abraham
Lincoln
biographer Harold Holzer describes the inaugural
address (1 min 15
sec)
Historians
Harold Holzer and James
Horton describe Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural address (1
min 20 sec)
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| Discussion
Questions |
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Historical
Significance: Consider the state
of the nation in March of 1865. As a primary source
document, how does Abraham Lincoln’s address help us
understand this period of history?
Language: Using
specific language from the text, what was the tone of
Lincoln’s address? How do Abraham Lincoln’s religious
allusions compare to those made by other presidents,
such as George Washington?
Audience: Who was
President Lincoln’s audience? Was he speaking to members
of the Union? or the Confederacy? or
both?
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