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Rhetorical Analysis Of Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

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During his time as President, Abraham Lincoln ambitiously attempted to assist the American people in realizing their own commonalities as one Nation and consequently trying to change within themselves. He hope this would cause the Nation to shift their outlook collectively. This was done by emphasizing their inner humanity, acknowledging their similarities to help them make a change in the country, and helping them to realize the major issues that were tearing the people apart. In a time of turmoil between the southern and northern parts of the country, Abraham Lincoln emphasized the inherit humanity of the American people to try and create a sense of unity. In his speeches, Lincoln tried to convey the message that change within the people …show more content…

He said in his First Inaugural Address, “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies.” when trying to stop the oncoming civil war. Lincoln was trying to show that the people of America were all inherently allies and need not fight a war against their friends. He reminded everyone that they all pray to the same God and read the same bible, yet they are using his words to fight each other. Lincoln wanted them to look at what they were saying and doing to the other side and how they actually were all very similar. All of the American people wanted a new Nation, the South wanted one with slavery and the North wanted one that worked in cohesion with one another. Lincoln encouraged them to look at these things and find a way within themselves to live as one united Nation. Lincoln wanted people on both sides to honor the people who fought and died as one and to recognize their sacrifice even if it was for the other side. He wanted to make sure they did not die in vain and that the citizens did not forget them in the wake of the changing country. He wanted the people to create their own vision of America, together as

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He did not want the issue of slavery to become more important than the rights granted in the constitution. Lincoln tiredly tried to preserve the union, while upholding the constitution and used Machiavelli principles to do so. Danoff

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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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Abraham Lincoln wanted to end the war and have peace for the united states.” Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation freed millions of slaves in confederate held territory.” This upset the the south because they used slaves for

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“A house divided against itself cannot stand” was said by the sixteenth president Abraham Lincoln, who made everything look easy. Although this statement was years before the civil war, it was proven to be true due to the fact that the civil war was fought from people arguing. Unlike Lincoln, Frederick Douglass didn’t have it easy, he had to fight for his freedom throughout the horrendous slavery he dealt with. Throughout Lincoln and Douglass, it is clear that they were leaders and heros, even though some people argued that they are not. Lincoln has brought change to everybody’s life’s by using the power that he had, from being the president and more.

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President Lincoln finally concluded, “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations” (Second Inaugural Address). To explain, Lincoln means that the nation, under God, should reunite as one nation and become the United States not becoming enemies. He also means that God is guiding this nation right now and the nation must be together and not be broken. This means that in order to change, the nation, both sides must be united as one, must strive by giving freedom to everyone that way they can be a unify their nation again. Lincoln’s final decision for going to war was to reunite the nation as one so that everyone can have freedom, meaning that slavery will end, and saving/protecting the

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Lincoln urges the people to “strive on to finish the work we are in,” “to bind up the nation's wounds,” he is trying to get the United Sate Citizens to become one again to unite and be one strong country, showing that even after a huge war that the country can remain strong and unified and that this war will allow for a strong brotherhood in the US. Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address is significant because Lincoln offered and objective point of view. Lincoln did not speak of the unloyalty of the South nor did he praise the North. Rather, Lincoln used multiple points to show that the Unification should be the main focus of his speech not that the states should be divided because of

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Shortly after President Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated into presidency, the American Civil War began, and is currently recorded as one of the bloodiest battles in American history. It is undeniable that Lincoln had a difficult job. In fact, Paul Boller stated, “The burdens he bore during the Civil War were far heavier than those of most American Presidents… Lincoln had to proceed cautiously to avoid alienating the border slave states and offending public opinion.” With this in mind, Lincoln generally one main goal within the beginning Civil War, which was to preserve the union. However, later on, he went on to change his mind on abolishing slavery.

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He had the same goals of equality and abolishing slavery but also had the goal of creating unity within the nation. As said in Lincolns 2nd inaugural speech, “ With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan — to do all which may achieve and cherish, a just and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.”. Lincoln is talking about his future goal of getting the nation to unite and bind the wounds caused by the war even if it’s the opposing side. Within his beliefs of slavery, it is known that he was not fond of the idea he said in his speech, “If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offences 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,”. Before the stated quote he quoted the bible itself.

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However, at the same time he uses his own ethos to promise that he will do everything to unite the union, to prevent war. The entire purpose of the civil war was first and foremost a war to reunify the country. In both his words, promises, and actions he communicates the importance of a unified nation. During the war, lincoln said in the Gettysburg address “are engaged in a civil war, testing whether [the] nation can long endure”, later saying that “this nation under god shall have a new birth of freedom and shall not perish from the earth"(Lincoln 1). Together Lincoln addresses the historical context with these two quotes.

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He doesn’t want to dwell on the future, but work on the present. He wants to conduct change and orchestrate harmony among the states. Also, especially, from paragraph 2, Abraham Lincoln starts using the pronoun “all” and, different forms of it, more often to highlight the inclusiveness of the aggregation, North & South, and to make everyone, including himself, on equal ground. This is to bring a sense of unity and appeal to reason. By bringing a sense of unity, he tries to achieve peace and ease in the tension.

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The Great Speech Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863 delivered one of the most iconic speeches in American History. His delivery infuses us with such raw power and emotions that poured out from the bottom of his heart will change the hearts and minds of Americans for ages to come. Abraham Lincoln did not just write one speech he made five different copies with different sentence structure and paragraph structure, to show how important the layout of the message and how it needed to be simple and to the point. Dissecting “The Gettysburg Address” we begin to understand Abraham Lincoln’s heart lies, he reminds everyone about our past and that we should honor those who fought for our freedom; he tells us “All men are created equal” only to show us what we need to work on as people in the present, he spreads hope for the future and encourages us to grow together

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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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He wanted people to know that slavery and segregation was wrong and need to be stopped. He always saw potential and faith in humanity, he just needed to use a little metaphorical fuse to light his metaphorical fire. Young Lincoln was raised on a farm by his dad Thomas Lincoln and his mother Nancy Lincoln. Sadly, Nancy died from milk sickness(When someone eats white snakeroot which contains toxic alcohol) when little Abe was only 9 years old.

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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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Abraham Lincoln in the speech, The Gettysburg Address, constructs a point of achieving a "just and lasting peace" between the North and South without retribution. Lincoln supports his assertion by justifying his beliefs of unity between the states. Lincoln's purpose is to influence the people to not allow what has been done to go to waste. He wants his audience to realize that this division will only persist if no one settles the current issues in society. Lincoln speaks in a sympathizing, determined tone to address the Americans who are mourning the loss of their loved ones and to the rest of Americans who he wants to see a change from.

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