President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address Essay Example

President Lincoln’s speech highlighted why the country was fighting a Civil War. Although neither side wanted a war, their different beliefs on slavery inevitably started one. The South wanted to continue exploiting enslaved people for physical labor, while Lincoln wanted to abolish slavery. He wanted people of color to be “free” and have the same rights as white citizens. In his speech, President Lincoln refers to the Bible and God. He tells the people that each side prayed to the same God and read the same Scriptures, but neither prayer was fully answered. Lincoln ends his speech by asking the people not to judge with malice but rather let the conflicts between the South and North pass. I chose to write about President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address because his actions following the Civil War created a domino effect. Abraham Lincoln was the first to stand up for black peoples’ civil rights. Lincoln’s point of view, intended audience, and historical context shaped history. 

President Lincoln wrote the speech given in 1865. Lincoln’s point of view showed people that the right side of the war was the one that fought for slavery rights. He referenced God as a way to connect to citizens and reason with the benefits of diminishing enslavement. Abraham strongly believed they were punished with war because God had taken offense to how cruel slaves were being treated. He quoted from the Bible stating, “If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through his appointed time, he now wills to remove, and that he gives to both North and South this terrible war.” Lincoln told the citizens of America that the only way to rid themselves of this offense was to stop slavery. 

Abraham Lincoln’s intended audience was the entire country, but he directed his message to the people in the South. In his speech, he described that God has not only taken offense but will judge the people in the kingdom of God. He’s asking the people of America to stop the war now instead of prolonging the consequences. Lincoln sympathized with the South and the damage the war had caused both sides. Additionally, Lincoln took accountability for allowing slavery to happen and previously owning slaves of his own. The people looked up to Abraham Lincoln because they believed he would guide them out of the war unscathed. Lincoln’s speech was not to be taken lightly. The North was accommodating and willing to create a new union, but on the other hand, many southerners were unwilling to accept defeat. This resulted in a divide between the people and their beliefs. Lincoln continued to advocate for civil rights. 

Lincoln delivered his Second Inaugural Address towards the end of the Civil War when tensions were still high. Throughout the War, Lincoln fought for the viewpoint he wanted others to follow. He won this war and continued to push for the rights of the formerly enslaved people. Lincoln created the Emancipation Proclamation to enforce an enslaved person’s freedom in the ten Confederate states experiencing rebellion. On December 6th, 1865, Lincoln and multiple other politicians realized the need to end slavery. They ratified the 13th Amendment, which would serve to end any discussion about whether owning slaves was legal. Unfortunately, he was assassinated shortly after he enforced a safe environment for people of color. After the Civil War, slavery ended but the angry sentiments continued. People in the South treated blacks with contempt which prevailed a century later, as evidenced by the race riots of the 1960s. Moreover, this predicate continues into the modern day with movements like Black Lives Matter (BLM). Lincoln’s fight for people of color was largely successful. He is one of the reasons Barack Obama, a black man, was able to get elected president.