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In his “Second Inaugural Address,” Lincoln acknowledges the horror of the Civil War, the human cost on both sides, and the damage the war has caused the nation. He also very clearly and powerfully takes a side. Identify the claim that is integral to Lincoln’s speech. Then, analyze how Lincoln orders and develops his ideas in order to support his claim. Evaluate how effective Lincoln was in supporting his main argument. Support your response with textual evidence.

Question

In his “Second Inaugural Address,” Lincoln acknowledges the horror of the Civil War, the human cost on both sides, and the damage the war has caused the nation. He also very clearly and powerfully takes a side. Identify the claim that is integral to Lincoln’s speech. Then, analyze how Lincoln orders and develops his ideas in order to support his claim. Evaluate how effective Lincoln was in supporting his main argument. Support your response with textual evidence.

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Solution

The integral claim in Lincoln's "Second Inaugural Address" is that the Civil War was a divine punishment for the sin of slavery, which both North and South were complicit in. He states, "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 as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him?"

Lincoln orders and develops his ideas by first acknowledging the shared guilt of both North and South in the institution of slavery. He then moves on to the idea of the war as divine punishment, using religious language and imagery to underscore his point. He concludes by calling for healing and reconciliation, with the famous line, "With malice toward none, with charity for all..."

In terms of effectiveness, Lincoln's argument is powerful and persuasive. He uses the shared religious beliefs of his audience to frame the war in a way that both acknowledges the suffering it has caused and provides a moral justification for it. His call for reconciliation at the end also serves to unite his audience and provide a path forward out of the conflict.

As for textual evidence, consider the following lines: "Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said 'the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.'" This passage clearly illustrates Lincoln's claim and his use of religious language to support it.

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