The poem "To America" by James Weldon Johnson, the letter from Nurse Cornelia Hancock to her mother, and President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address all address different aspects of American history and society, and the authors form opinions and make arguments and claims about America in their respective texts. In "To America," Johnson addresses the oppression faced by African Americans in America and raises questions about the country's commitment to justice and equality. He writes, "Have you kept faith? / Have all your sons paid back the toil / Which gave you mastery of the soil?" These questions suggest that America has not fully lived up to its promises of freedom and equality for all its citizens, and that African Americans have been oppressed and exploited throughout its history. Johnson's argument is that America needs to acknowledge its past injustices and work towards a more just and equal society. …show more content…
She writes, "the price we pay is beyond all calculation." Here, Hancock is emphasizing the human cost of the war and the sacrifices made by those who fought and died for their country. Her argument is that the Civil War was a deeply traumatic and costly event, and that the country must honor and remember those who fought and died in it. President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, on the other hand, was a public speech prepared for the nation in the aftermath of a major battle of the Civil War. In his speech, Lincoln argues that the war was fought to preserve the Union and to ensure that "government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." He emphasizes the sacrifices made by those who fought and died at Gettysburg and the importance of continuing to fight for the principles of democracy and freedom that the Union