John F Kennedy Inaugural Address Essay

When it comes to wanting nationwide change in the United States, citizens will look towards higher authority to gain reassurance and hope for their country. Throughout hardship across the nation, individuals will always give up their trust to their presidents. Presidents have the power to sway the minds of the people and comfort them with words they want to hear. Presidents, such as Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, expressed optimism and relief to the public using speeches. Two examples of these would be Kennedy’s inaugural address, which described the challenges of the Cold War and his desire for peace with other nations, and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, which addressed the civil war and honored the soldiers that fought at Gettysburg.

These leaders designed their speeches in order to stir the emotions of their citizens, which brought a deeper connection to the speaker and the listener. To do this, Kennedy and Lincoln talked about their plans with dedication and overly expressed their ideas to the best of their abilities. For instance, Kennedy affirms to the United States “...let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own” (Kennedy, 5). An audience with religious views would personally appreciate Kennedy’s association with God and the connection He has with the land of the United States. Individuals may feel a sudden determination to work with other Americans to strive for a change due to the religious comparisons the president presented. Lincoln’s address also contains religious language and other phrases that hit the hearts of the American people. Other than religious phrases, Lincoln powerfully states, “...we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow, this ground” to his country (Lincoln, 3). The president himself felt it was his right to honor the Union soldiers that gave up their lives to fight for a cause that was held deeply in his heart. His purpose for using those words was to put that same respect and honor into the eyes of the United States citizens and have them understand that that mindset makes a nation