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Rhetorical Analysis Of Abraham Lincoln's Inaugural Address

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Abraham Lincoln, the president of the United States addresses the nation on the date of March 4th, 1865, in order to address the Civil War. He responds to the war crisis by stating, and publicizing that the slaves needed to be free before the Civil War occurred. The war, as said by Abraham Lincoln, not only caused a split in unity between the states and citizens, but he also believed it to be a punishment delivered by God because of the treatment of the slaves. Lincoln is able to get his argument across successfully through the use of juxtapositions, allusions religion, and the use of pronouns (at the end of the speech), to create a sense of unity within the country. President Abraham Lincoln does not only address the effects and problems with the Civil War, but also what encouraged the conflict. He addresses this through juxtaposition and antithesis starting at line 24. He states, “Both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive, …show more content…

Lincoln states, “Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come… American slavery is one of those offenses…” Lincoln is able to use this allusion to his advantage because what he is stating is that all Americans are under one God as is said in many historical documents (such as the Pledge of Allegiance), and all worship one God. In order to achieve Lincolns purpose of uniting Americans under one nation, he uses the allusions above implicitly stating that Americans should unite together under God rather than be separated through war. Lincoln also states that, “Bothe read the bible and pray to the same God.” This creates unity and reconciliation because religion often brings different people together and in this case, it is all

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During Abraham Lincoln’s presidency at the start of the 1860, an issue that had divided the nation was slavery. Lincoln’s election to presidency as a republic was not received well by the Southern slave states, as they thought that as a republican he was out to abolish slavery. In an effort to calm southern states and keep them from seceding from the United States, he attempts to ease them with his First Inaugural Address. In his First Inaugural Address his key points are to clam southern leaders of slave states, keep the states from seceding, and make them at ease as he enters presidency.

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To begin, President Lincoln strengthens his points by using parallel structure in paragraph by exclaiming “All dreaded it, all sought to avert it”. By stating this, Lincoln brings together the two very distinct viewpoints by showing that both wanted to advert and stray from the war, knowing neither could due to previous circumstances. Parallel structure entails unification of the two sides of the battle, uniting them through a relatable idea and overall accomplishing the goal of his inaugural address, bonding the confederacy and the union back together. Another example of his use of parallel structure includes his expansion upon the idea that neither side wanted to start the war: “Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict may cease…the conflict itself should cease.” Lincoln indicates that he understands both

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I believe I have no lawful right to do so...” He then goes on to state in his Gettysburg address “... that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.” and “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Showing that he sees the wrong in slavery and changes his views towards it. Lincoln planned to treat the South fairly and with respect with his plan of

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642 Words | 3 Pages

During the history of the United States there have been very respectable speakers Martin Luther King Jr. John F. Kennedy but perhaps no greater leader in American history came to addressing the country like Abraham Lincoln. In his Second Inaugural Address, Lincoln gave a short speech concerning the effect of the Civil War and his own personal vision for the future of the nation. In this speech Lincoln uses many different rhetorical strategies to convey his views of the Civil War to his audience.

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Instead, he subtly suggests the south was at fault, and by doing this he does not directly blame the people. This passive tone shows that Lincolns focus is not to blame for the war, but to show that war brought suffering of equal proportions to both north and south. In the last half of his address, Lincoln logically explains why God had not ended the war and urges his audience not to judge. He states to his audience that they should “judge not that they be not judged,” alluding to the Lord's Prayer and appealing to his audience's Christian beliefs, and pacifying his audience. Lincoln continues to appeal to his audience’s religious background and answers his statement “and the war came”, revealing that "If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come… 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" (30-32).

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He states that: “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with the firmness in the right as God gives us to see his right […] to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations” (line 70-76). By the use of the words “none”, “all”, and “us”, there is no indication of any disunity that he wishes to see, but instead establishing a similarity of the sides. A spark in reunification is what currently needs to take place in order to end this war. With this, Lincoln drives it home with expressing that the only way out of this divided devastation is the coming together of the North and the South. With the use of imperative phrases and inclusive diction, Lincoln passionately attempts to mend the two broken pieces in this puzzle for

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The very best president of the united states Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president and one of the most accomplished for his achievement in aboloshing slavery. Lincoln is giving his Inaugural address speech, reflecting about the civil war and how we were able to overcome all the violence and tragedy that came with it. Articulated by Lincoln about slaves and how they were a major sin that we the people committed, slaves were the cause of the civil war and neither side could come up with an agreement to end it. In the end, both sides prayed to God to save them, but none got that wish. The entire speech purpose is effective in convincing the audience that after the war is over we need to come together and unify the north and the south, Lincoln's purpose is effective in retelling to the audience how the civil war was a disaster and petty.

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The address touches on the idea of equality throughout. Lincoln appeals to the idea that the founding fathers built the nation with the people's freedom in mind when he states “A new nation, conceived in Liberty. ”(Lincoln, paragraph 1). This appeals to the notion that people want to have freedom, including the slaves who had no freedom, in Lincoln's time, and was one of the primary reasons the Civil War was occurring. Lincoln uses the idea of freedom to change people's mind about the issue.

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The Civil War was one of the most impactful events in United States history; Abraham Lincoln was the man who helped lead our country through that strenuous time. In his Second Inaugural Address Lincoln uses a variety of strong and effective rhetorical strategies to inspire his fellow Americans to accept the imminent closing of the Civil War with hopeful attitude and begin to heal a broken nation. Many people had made predictions for the end of the Civil War. However, President Lincoln does not definitively give either side the title of victor: “With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured.” Using direct and declarative sentences, Lincoln is able to make his audience question their motives for making so many predictions.

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but it out their but he kind of tells them in +other words, he means how is it that we are able to fight side by side yet we cannot be Nabors. Slavery was still in battle well about. Abraham Lincoln was trying to tell everyone that was for Slavery and those that were against slavery that if we can fight together we should live together where all equal and our fathers should us that all man our like

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Abraham Lincoln is explaining how he thinks God will bring some kind of peace to the North and the South, but they still fought for peace. At Least the North

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It is seen clearly in his word choice that Lincoln calls for a lasting and fair peace, but not only between the North and South. He also calls the American people to apply this concept of peace with other countries and in foreign policy. Throughout his Second Inaugural Address, President Abraham Lincoln employs a variety of rhetorical strategies to promote unity between Americans. As Lincoln once said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

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In Abraham Lincoln’s childhood, he went to school when he was 6, 7, 11, 13 and 15. This schooling added up to less than a year (“A Real Education”). The former President was mostly self-taught and had limited access to books. Despite this, his speeches are sophisticated, moving and memorable. Chief among these speeches is the Second Inaugural Address of 1865.

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Intro Growing up, we have all heard the many stories of George Washington. While many recognize him as one of the most important figures in U.S history, others only recognize him by one of his multiple accomplishments; he was the 1st president of the United States. With presidency comes the variety of duties and responsibilities, the main being a president 's inaugural adress. In George Washington 's very 1st inaugural, he uses three rhetorical strategies: personification, amplification, and last but not least, repitition to convey what he truly wants for the States and why a successful Constitution should be in order.

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Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address Rhetorical Analysis The purpose of this speech is detailed in the time period. This speech was written/spoken at the end of the American Civil war. It is President Lincoln’s way of putting a tentative end to the war and a start to the recovery period. He is still oppressing the south in his diction when he states “Both parties deprecated war: but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish.

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