Before you write, however, read a brief history entitled Inaugural Addresse. You can read this online, or it can be printed from the Text Document on page 72. This reading contains general information about the
inaugural address, such as a brief history of the address and what presidents generally hope to accomplish
in this speech. You should find this helpful as you set out to write your own inaugural address.
Suggestion: You might wish to mention or refer to the following points in your address:
. what you know to be true about the nation in 1865
• your thoughts on the cause of the war
. a way to put the nation's conflict into perspective
• how you will deal with a nation whose sections are hostile to each other
· where you will lead the country over the next four years
• your goals and vision for the nation
• In the second paragraph, what does Lincoln say that Americans (North and South) believed about the
"impending civil-war"? Why does he not identify the South as responsible for starting the war?
• What connection does Lincoln make between slavery and the Civil War?
• What two or three things about the Civil War does Lincoln say the American people did not expect?
• What does Lincoln "suppose" God may be accomplishing with the Civil War?
• How does Lincoln's interpretation of the war humble both victorious Northerners and defeated
Southerners? Why is this useful given the historical context in March 1865?
• In terms of both the war and slavery, how do Lincoln's references to the Bible help him to explain what
has happened to the country since his first presidential inauguration?