Second Inaugural Address
The first and second inaugural addresses compare and contrast in many ways to show the different views of national identity that Abraham Lincoln shows throughout the speeches. They compare because of issues to end the war or defuse the possibility of war. They contrast in many ways also, in the first address Lincoln believes that the issue of a war will pass over the country and not be much of an issue. He also gives chances to the people that have started this conversation to end what they started. Whereas in the second inaugural address lincoln takes a more religious approach. Lastly, the issue of slavery is very different during the two inaugural addresses. The first and second inaugural addresses had similar views of national identity
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The first contrasting idea was slavery. In the first inaugural address Lincoln says that he did not have any intentions to end slavery in the U.S. He also mentions that he didn’t know what to do about slavery because slavery was not mentioned in the constitution. Also in the first inaugural address, Lincoln believes that this possibility of war is just a phase. He believes that the strength of the country will be able to force this issue to just pass over time. Again the first inaugural address is different then the second because Lincoln gives chances to the confederates to stop what they have started. He gives them time to realize what they have done. The statements made in the first inaugural address clearly show the national identity that Lincoln believes this country has. The national identity in the time of the first inaugural address is more laid back and believing that the country can get through anything without force. However the second inaugural address is different than the first. While the first is more laid back the second address mentions God heavily. Over the last four years the country must have become more involved in religion while the war had been going on. During the second inaugural address, Lincoln mentions God almost fifteen times. Clearly, religion is an active part of how the union dealt with the civil war. By the time the second address came around the national
The first contrasting idea was slavery. In the first inaugural address Lincoln says that he did not have any intentions to end slavery in the U.S. He also mentions that he didn’t know what to do about slavery because slavery was not mentioned in the constitution. Also in the first inaugural address, Lincoln believes that this possibility of war is just a phase. He believes that the strength of the country will be able to force this issue to just pass over time. Again the first inaugural address is different then the second because Lincoln gives chances to the confederates to stop what they have started. He gives them time to realize what they have done. The statements made in the first inaugural address clearly show the national identity that Lincoln believes this country has. The national identity in the time of the first inaugural address is more laid back and believing that the country can get through anything without force. However the second inaugural address is different than the first. While the first is more laid back the second address mentions God heavily. Over the last four years the country must have become more involved in religion while the war had been going on. During the second inaugural address, Lincoln mentions God almost fifteen times. Clearly, religion is an active part of how the union dealt with the civil war. By the time the second address came around the national