Second Inaugural Address Pdf

Second Inaugural Address PDF: A Comprehensive Guide to Accessing and Understanding Lincoln's Masterpiece

Finding a reliable, accurate PDF of Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. This comprehensive guide cuts through the noise, providing not only readily accessible links to trustworthy PDFs but also a deep dive into the speech itself, its historical context, and its enduring relevance. We'll explore the speech's key themes, its rhetorical brilliance, and its lasting impact on American history and political discourse. This post is your one-stop shop for everything related to accessing and understanding Lincoln's powerful Second Inaugural Address in PDF format.

Where to Find Reliable PDFs of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

The internet is awash with PDFs, but not all are created equal. Some may contain inaccuracies or be riddled with formatting issues. Therefore, it's crucial to source your documents from reputable archives and institutions. Here are a few trustworthy locations where you can confidently download a PDF of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address:

The National Archives: The official repository of US government documents, the National Archives offers a digital version of the address. Searching their online catalog is likely to yield a high-quality PDF. Remember to verify the source to ensure accuracy.

The Library of Congress: Another highly respected institution, the Library of Congress maintains extensive digital collections. Their website offers access to various historical documents, including Lincoln's speeches. Look for the address in their online collection.

Project Gutenberg: This online library of public domain works often features texts in multiple formats, including PDFs. They strive for accuracy and provide free access to numerous classic literary works and historical documents.

University Archives: Many prestigious universities maintain substantial digital archives containing historical documents. Searching the online repositories of universities with strong American history departments may yield a reliable PDF.

Remember to always critically evaluate the source of any PDF you download. Check for credible accreditation and the absence of obvious errors or biases.

Understanding the Context and Key Themes of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

Delivered on March 4, 1865, just over a month before the end of the Civil War, Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address stands as a testament to his remarkable vision and his deep understanding of the nation's moral struggle. The speech, though brief, is incredibly potent, encapsulating the profound complexities of the war and offering a vision for a fractured nation's healing.

Key Themes:

Divine Judgment: Lincoln subtly but powerfully suggests that both the North and the South are facing divine judgment for the sin of slavery. He doesn't assign blame unilaterally but rather highlights the shared responsibility for the conflict's existence.

National Reconciliation: While acknowledging the immense suffering caused by the war, Lincoln emphasizes the need for national reconciliation and healing. He calls for "malice toward none, with charity for all," a sentiment that resonates even today.

The Endurance of the Union: Despite the immense cost of the war, Lincoln reaffirms his unwavering commitment to preserving the Union. He articulates a vision of a reunited nation, though the path to achieving it remains fraught with challenges.

The Abolition of Slavery: Lincoln implicitly links the war's conclusion to the abolition of slavery, framing the conflict as a necessary step towards achieving a more just and equitable society. His famous words about the war being a judgment on both sides regarding slavery highlight this central theme.

A Call for Unity: The address serves as a powerful call for national unity, urging Americans to overcome their differences and work together to rebuild the nation after the devastating conflict.

Rhetorical Analysis of the Second Inaugural Address

Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address is a masterclass in brevity and impact. Its concise yet profound language and carefully constructed structure contribute to its enduring power.

Conciseness: The speech's brevity ensures that its central themes are delivered with focused intensity. Every word carries significant weight.

Biblical Allusions: Lincoln masterfully uses biblical allusions and imagery to elevate the moral dimension of the conflict, grounding his message in shared cultural values and beliefs.

Metaphor and Symbolism: The use of carefully chosen metaphors and symbols underscores the address's deeper meaning. For example, the reference to "a nation conceived in liberty" evokes the founding ideals of the US.

Balance and Nuance: Lincoln avoids overly simplistic pronouncements, instead offering a nuanced perspective that acknowledges the complexities of the situation. This approach adds to the address's enduring strength and relevance.

Call to Action (Implied): While not explicitly demanding specific actions, the speech implicitly calls on Americans to embrace reconciliation, forgiveness, and a renewed commitment to national unity.

A Sample Outline of a Book on Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

Title: Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address: A Legacy of Reconciliation and Renewal

Outline:

Introduction: Overview of Lincoln's life, the context of the Civil War, and the significance of the Second Inaugural Address.

Chapter 1: The Historical Context: Detailed examination of the political and social climate leading up to the delivery of the speech. Discussion of the war's progress and the prevailing attitudes towards slavery.

Chapter 2: A Rhetorical Analysis: In-depth analysis of the speech's language, structure, and persuasive techniques. Exploration of Lincoln's use of symbolism, metaphor, and biblical allusions.

Chapter 3: The Themes and Interpretations: Detailed examination of the address's major themes, including divine judgment, national reconciliation, the abolition of slavery, and the enduring strength of the Union.

Chapter 4: The Legacy and Enduring Relevance: Exploration of the speech's lasting impact on American history, politics, and culture. Discussion of its continued relevance in contemporary debates about race, justice, and national unity.

Conclusion: Summary of the main arguments and a reflection on the enduring power of Lincoln's words.

Detailed Explanation of the Book Outline Points

Introduction: This section would set the stage, introducing Abraham Lincoln, his presidency during the tumultuous Civil War years, and the significant historical backdrop against which the Second Inaugural Address was delivered. It would briefly explain the address's importance and preview the book's main arguments.

Chapter 1: The Historical Context: This chapter would delve into the intricate details leading up to the address, examining the progress of the Civil War, the political landscape, and the prevailing societal attitudes toward slavery. It would analyze the various factors influencing Lincoln's decision to address the nation at this critical juncture.

Chapter 2: A Rhetorical Analysis: This chapter would meticulously dissect Lincoln's masterful use of language. It would explore the speech's structure, analyzing the flow of ideas, the strategic use of short, impactful sentences, and the employment of powerful rhetorical devices such as metaphor, simile, and analogy. It would show how these devices contribute to the address's emotional power and persuasiveness.

Chapter 3: The Themes and Interpretations: This section would delve into the multifaceted interpretations of Lincoln's words. It would examine the central themes of divine judgment, reconciliation, the abolition of slavery, and the preservation of the Union. Different perspectives on these themes would be presented and discussed, showing the lasting debate surrounding the speech's true meaning.

Chapter 4: The Legacy and Enduring Relevance: This final analytical chapter would discuss the profound and enduring impact of Lincoln's address. It would explore its influence on American political thought, the Civil Rights movement, and contemporary political discourse. The chapter would show how the speech's themes continue to resonate today and its continued application to contemporary political and social challenges.

Conclusion: The conclusion would summarize the key arguments presented throughout the book, reiterating the address's historical significance and its continued relevance for understanding the challenges of national unity and social justice.

FAQs

1. Where can I find a free, reliable PDF of the Second Inaugural Address? Reputable sources include the National Archives, the Library of Congress, and Project Gutenberg. Always check the source's credibility.

2. What is the main theme of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address? The address centers on themes of national reconciliation, divine judgment on both sides regarding slavery, and the enduring importance of the Union.

3. How long is the Second Inaugural Address? It's remarkably short, lasting only a few minutes when read aloud.

4. What is the significance of the phrase "malice toward none, with charity for all"? This phrase embodies Lincoln's call for national healing and forgiveness after the devastating Civil War.

5. What role does religion play in the Second Inaugural Address? Lincoln utilizes subtle biblical allusions, suggesting a divine hand in the unfolding events of the war.

6. How does Lincoln address the issue of slavery in his Second Inaugural Address? He implicitly links the war's conclusion to the abolition of slavery, suggesting a divine judgment on both the North and the South for the institution's existence.

7. What is the rhetorical impact of Lincoln's concise style? The brevity makes the message potent and unforgettable, ensuring every word carries immense weight.

8. Why is this speech still relevant today? Its themes of reconciliation, justice, and national unity resonate deeply with contemporary challenges facing the nation.

9. Are there different versions or interpretations of the Second Inaugural Address? While the text itself remains consistent, various scholarly interpretations and analyses exist, offering different perspectives on its meaning and impact.

Related Articles

1. Lincoln's First Inaugural Address: A Comparative Analysis: An examination of the differences and similarities between Lincoln's first and second inaugural addresses.

2. The Gettysburg Address: A Parallel to the Second Inaugural: A comparative analysis highlighting the shared themes and rhetorical strategies between these two iconic speeches.

3. The Aftermath of the Civil War: Reconstruction and Lincoln's Vision: An exploration of the historical context following the war and how Lincoln's vision shaped the reconstruction era.

4. Lincoln's Leadership During the Civil War: A Case Study: An analysis of Lincoln's strategic and political decisions during the conflict.

5. The Role of Slavery in the Civil War: A detailed examination of slavery's influence on the causes and conduct of the Civil War.

6. Abraham Lincoln's Legacy: A Lasting Impact on American Society: A broad overview of Lincoln's lasting contributions to American history and culture.

7. The Second Inaugural Address and the Abolition of Slavery: A focused examination of the speech's connection to the emancipation of slaves.

8. Rhetorical Devices in Lincoln's Speeches: A Stylistic Analysis: A study of Lincoln's rhetorical techniques, focusing on the tools he employed to make his speeches powerful and persuasive.

9. Understanding American Identity Through Lincoln's Addresses: How Lincoln’s speeches shaped and reflected the evolving American identity.


  second inaugural address pdf: Lincoln's Greatest Speech Ronald C. White, 2006-11-07 In the tradition of Wills's Lincoln at Gettysburg, Lincoln's Greatest Speech combines impeccable scholarship and lively, engaging writing to reveal the full meaning of one of the greatest speeches in the nation's history.
  second inaugural address pdf: War of Words Harry J. Maihafer, 2001-11-01 A shrewd politician, Abraham Lincoln recognized the power of the press. He knew that, at most, a few thousand people might hear one of his speeches in person, but countless readers across the nation would absorb his message through newspapers. While he was always under fire by some hostile portion of the openly partisan nineteenth-century media, through the careful cultivation of relationships Lincoln successfully wooed numerous prominent newspapermen into aiding his agenda. Whether he was editing his own speech in a newspaper office or inviting reporters to the White House to leak a story, the President skillfully steered the Union through the perils of war by playing his own version of the public relations game.
  second inaugural address pdf: Every Drop of Blood Edward Achorn, 2020-03-03 This vividly rendered Civil War history presents “a lively guided tour of Washington during the 24 hours or so around Lincoln’s swearing-in” (Adam Goodheart, Washington Post). By March 4, 1865, the Civil War had left intractable wounds on the nation. Tens of thousands crowded Washington’s Capitol grounds that day to see Abraham Lincoln take the oath for a second term—and witness what was perhaps the greatest inaugural address in American history. Lincoln stunned the nation by arguing that both sides had been wrong, and that the war’s unimaginable horrors might have been God’s just verdict on the national sin of slavery. In Every Drop of Blood, Edward Achorn reveals the nation’s capital on that momentous day—with its mud, sewage, and saloons, its prostitutes, spies, reporters, social-climbing spouses and power-hungry politicians. Swirling around the complex figure of Lincoln, a host of characters are brought to life, from grievously wounded Union colonel Selden Connor to the embarrassingly drunk new vice president, Andrew Johnson, to poet-journalist Walt Whitman; from soldiers’ advocate Clara Barton and African American leader Frederick Douglass to conflicted actor John Wilkes Booth. In indelible scenes, Achorn captures the frenzy and division in the nation’s capital at this crucial moment in America’s history. His story offers new understanding of our great national crisis, and echoes down the decades to resonate in our own time.
  second inaugural address pdf: Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address Abraham Lincoln, 2022-09-16 DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address by Abraham Lincoln. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.
  second inaugural address pdf: The Cambridge Companion to Abraham Lincoln Shirley Samuels, 2012-07-23 Abraham Lincoln's stature as an American cultural figure grows from his political legacy. In today's milieu, the speeches he delivered as the sixteenth president of the United States have become synonymous with American progress, values and exceptionalism. But what makes Lincoln's language so effective? Highlighting matters of style, affect, nationalism and history in nineteenth-century America, this collection examines the rhetorical power of Lincoln's prose – from the earliest legal decisions, stump speeches, anecdotes and letters, to the Gettysburg Address and the lingering power of the Second Inaugural Address. Through careful analysis of his correspondence with Civil War generals and his early poetry, the contributors, all literary and cultural critics, give readers a unique look into Lincoln's private life. Such a collection enables teachers, students, and readers of American history to assess the impact of this extraordinary writer – and rare politician – on the world's stage.
  second inaugural address pdf: Inaugural Presidential Address Obama Barack, 2016-06-23 Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.
  second inaugural address pdf: Lincoln's Speeches Reconsidered John Channing Briggs, 2005-06-16 In this close examination, John Channing Briggs reveals how the process of studying, writing, and delivering speeches helped Lincoln develop the ideas with which he would so profoundly change history.
  second inaugural address pdf: Lincoln on Race and Slavery Henry Louis Gates Jr., Donald Yacovone, 2009-01-22 From acclaimed scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the most comprehensive collection of Lincoln's writings on race and slavery Generations of Americans have debated the meaning of Abraham Lincoln's views on race and slavery. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation and supported a constitutional amendment to outlaw slavery, yet he also harbored grave doubts about the intellectual capacity of African Americans, publicly used the n-word until at least 1862, and favored permanent racial segregation. In this book—the first complete collection of Lincoln's important writings on both race and slavery—readers can explore these contradictions through Lincoln's own words. Acclaimed Harvard scholar and documentary filmmaker Henry Louis Gates, Jr., presents the full range of Lincoln's views, gathered from his private letters, speeches, official documents, and even race jokes, arranged chronologically from the late 1830s to the 1860s. Complete with definitive texts, rich historical notes, and an original introduction by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., this book charts the progress of a war within Lincoln himself. We witness his struggles with conflicting aims and ideas—a hatred of slavery and a belief in the political equality of all men, but also anti-black prejudices and a determination to preserve the Union even at the cost of preserving slavery. We also watch the evolution of his racial views, especially in reaction to the heroic fighting of black Union troops. At turns inspiring and disturbing, Lincoln on Race and Slavery is indispensable for understanding what Lincoln's views meant for his generation—and what they mean for our own.
  second inaugural address pdf: The Eloquent President Ronald C. White, 2007-12-18 The fact that Abraham Lincoln is now universally recognized as America’s greatest political orator would have surprised many of the citizens who voted him into office. Ungainly in stature and awkward in manner, the newly elected Lincoln was considered a Western stump speaker and debater devoid of rhetorical polish. Then, after the outbreak of the Civil War, he stood before the nation to deliver his Message to Congress in Special Session on July 4, 1861, and, as a contemporary editor put it, “some of us who doubted were wrong.” In The Eloquent President, historian Ronald White examines Lincoln’s astonishing oratory and explores his growth as a leader, a communicator, and a man of deepening spiritual conviction. Examining a different speech, address, or public letter in each chapter, White tracks the evolution of Lincoln’s rhetoric from the measured, lawyerly tones of the First Inaugural, to the imaginative daring of the 1862 Annual Message to Congress, to the haunting, immortal poetry of the Gettysburg Address. As a speaker who appealed not to intellect alone, but also to the hearts and souls of citizens, Lincoln persuaded the nation to follow him during the darkest years of the Civil War. Through the speeches and what surrounded them–the great battles and political crises, the president’s private anguish and despair, the impact of his words on the public, the press, and the nation at war–we see the full sweep and meaning of the Lincoln presidency. As he weighs the biblical cadences and vigorous parallel structures that make Lincoln’s rhetoric soar, White identifies a passionate religious strain that most historians have overlooked. It is White’s contention that as president Lincoln not only grew into an inspiring leader and determined commander in chief, but also embarked on a spiritual odyssey that led to a profound understanding of the relationship between human action and divine will. Brilliantly written, boldly original in conception, The Eloquent President blends history, biography, and a deep intuitive appreciation for the quality of Lincoln’s extraordinary mind. With grace and insight, White captures the essence of the four most critical years of Lincoln’s life and makes the great words live for our time in all their power and beauty. From the Hardcover edition.
  second inaugural address pdf: Lincoln's Sword Douglas L. Wilson, 2011-11-02 Widely considered in his own time as a genial but provincial lightweight who was out of place in the presidency, Abraham Lincoln astonished his allies and confounded his adversaries by producing a series of speeches and public letters so provocative that they helped revolutionize public opinion on such critical issues as civil liberties, the use of black soldiers, and the emancipation of slaves. This is a brilliant and unprecedented examination of how Lincoln used the power of words to not only build his political career but to keep the country united during the Civil War.
  second inaugural address pdf: Lincoln's Virtues William Lee Miller, 2003-02-04 William Lee Miller’s ethical biography is a fresh, engaging telling of the story of Lincoln’s rise to power. Through careful scrutiny of Lincoln’s actions, speeches, and writings, and of accounts from those who knew him, Miller gives us insight into the moral development of a great politician — one who made the choice to go into politics, and ultimately realized that vocation’s fullest moral possibilities. As Lincoln’s Virtues makes refreshingly clear, Lincoln was not born with his face on Mount Rushmore; he was an actual human being making choices — moral choices — in a real world. In an account animated by wit and humor, Miller follows this unschooled frontier politician’s rise, showing that the higher he went and the greater his power, the worthier his conduct would become. He would become that rare bird, a great man who was also a good man. Uniquely revealing of its subject’s heart and mind, it represents a major contribution to our understanding and of Lincoln, and to the perennial American discussion of the relationship between politics and morality.
  second inaugural address pdf: Redeemer Nation Ernest Lee Tuveson, 1980-02-15 Ernest Tuveson here shows that the idea of the redemptive mission which has motivated so much of the United States foreign policy is as old as the Republic itself. He traces the development of this element of the American heritage from its beginning as a literal interpretation of biblical prophecies. Pointing to the application of the millenarian ideal to successive stages of American history, notably apocalyptic events like the Civil War, Tuveson illustrates its pervasive cultural influences with examples from the writings of Jonathan Edwards, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Timothy Dwight, and Julia Ward Howe, among others.
  second inaugural address pdf: Second Inauguration of Woodrow Wilson as President of the United States and Thomas Riley Marshall as Vice President of the United States Washington (D.C.). Inaugural Committee, 1917, 1918
  second inaugural address pdf: Before the Oath Martha Joynt Kumar, 2015-06-30 Having watched from a front row seat as many incumbent and electoral campaign presidential teams managed administration transitions, Martha Kumar was struck by how productively the Bush and Obama teams worked together to effect a smooth transition of power in 2008. She has reflected upon what made the transition so effective, and wonders if it could be a model for future incoming and outgoing administrations. This book focuses on the preparations made by President Bush's transition team as well as those by Senators Obama and McCain as one administration exited and the other entered the White House. Using this recent transition as a lens through which to examine the presidential transition process, Kumar simultaneously outlines the congressional legislation that paved the way for this distinctive transition and interweaves comparative examples from previous administrative transitions going back to Truman-to-Eisenhower. She evaluates the early and continuing actions by the General Services Administration to plan and set up transition offices; the work on financial disclosure issues handled by the Office of Government Ethics; and the Office of Management and Budget's preparatory work. In this fascinating historical and contemporary vivisection of presidential transitions, Kumar maps out, in the words of former NSA advisor General James L. Jones, the characteristics of a smooth glide path for presidential campaign staffs and their administrations--
  second inaugural address pdf: The Hill We Climb Amanda Gorman, 2021-03-30 The instant #1 New York Times bestseller and #1 USA Today bestseller Amanda Gorman’s electrifying and historic poem “The Hill We Climb,” read at President Joe Biden’s inauguration, is now available as a collectible gift edition. “Stunning.” —CNN “Dynamic.” —NPR “Deeply rousing and uplifting.” —Vogue On January 20, 2021, Amanda Gorman became the sixth and youngest poet to deliver a poetry reading at a presidential inauguration. Taking the stage after the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden, Gorman captivated the nation and brought hope to viewers around the globe with her call for unity and healing. Her poem “The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country” can now be cherished in this special gift edition, perfect for any reader looking for some inspiration. Including an enduring foreword by Oprah Winfrey, this remarkable keepsake celebrates the promise of America and affirms the power of poetry.
  second inaugural address pdf: The Gettysburg Gospel Gabor Boritt, 2008-02-05 Describes the events surrounding Abraham Lincoln's historic speech following the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, how he responded to the politics of the time, and the importance of that speech.
  second inaugural address pdf: Giants John Stauffer, 2008-11-03 Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln were the preeminent self-made men of their time. In this masterful dual biography, award-winning Harvard University scholar John Stauffer describes the transformations in the lives of these two giants during a major shift in cultural history, when men rejected the status quo and embraced new ideals of personal liberty. As Douglass and Lincoln reinvented themselves and ultimately became friends, they transformed America. Lincoln was born dirt poor, had less than one year of formal schooling, and became the nation's greatest president. Douglass spent the first twenty years of his life as a slave, had no formal schooling-in fact, his masters forbade him to read or write-and became one of the nation's greatest writers and activists, as well as a spellbinding orator and messenger of audacious hope, the pioneer who blazed the path traveled by future African-American leaders. At a time when most whites would not let a black man cross their threshold, Lincoln invited Douglass into the White House. Lincoln recognized that he needed Douglass to help him destroy the Confederacy and preserve the Union; Douglass realized that Lincoln's shrewd sense of public opinion would serve his own goal of freeing the nation's blacks. Their relationship shifted in response to the country's debate over slavery, abolition, and emancipation. Both were ambitious men. They had great faith in the moral and technological progress of their nation. And they were not always consistent in their views. John Stauffer describes their personal and political struggles with a keen understanding of the dilemmas Douglass and Lincoln confronted and the social context in which they occurred. What emerges is a brilliant portrait of how two of America's greatest leaders lived.
  second inaugural address pdf: The Portable Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln, 2009-01-27 Celebrate the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth with this new edition of his greatest speeches and writings Abraham Lincoln endowed the American language with a vigor and moral energy that has all but disappeared from today's public rhetoric. Lincoln's writings are testaments of our history, windows into his enigmatic personality, and resonant examples of the writer's art. The Portable Abraham Lincoln contains the great public speeches - the first debate with Stephen Douglas, the House Divided speech, the Gettysburg Address, the Second Inaugural Address - along with less familiar letters and memoranda that chart Lincoln's political career, his evolving stand against slavery, and his day-to-day conduct of the Civil War. This edition includes a revised introduction, updated notes on the text, a chronology of Lincoln's life, and four new selections of his writing. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
  second inaugural address pdf: Lincoln at Cooper Union Harold Holzer, 2006-11-07 Winner of the Lincoln Prize Lincoln at Cooper Union explores Lincoln's most influential and widely reported pre-presidential address -- an extraordinary appeal by the western politician to the eastern elite that propelled him toward the Republican nomination for president. Delivered in New York in February 1860, the Cooper Union speech dispelled doubts about Lincoln's suitability for the presidency and reassured conservatives of his moderation while reaffirming his opposition to slavery to Republican progressives. Award-winning Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer places Lincoln and his speech in the context of the times -- an era of racism, politicized journalism, and public oratory as entertainment -- and shows how the candidate framed the speech as an opportunity to continue his famous debates with his archrival Democrat Stephen A. Douglas on the question of slavery. Holzer describes the enormous risk Lincoln took by appearing in New York, where he exposed himself to the country's most critical audience and took on Republican Senator William Henry Seward of New York, the front runner, in his own backyard. Then he recounts a brilliant and innovative public relations campaign, as Lincoln took the speech on the road in his successful quest for the presidency.
  second inaugural address pdf: The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery Eric Foner, 2011-09-26 “A masterwork [by] the preeminent historian of the Civil War era.”—Boston Globe Selected as a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times Book Review, this landmark work gives us a definitive account of Lincoln's lifelong engagement with the nation's critical issue: American slavery. A master historian, Eric Foner draws Lincoln and the broader history of the period into perfect balance. We see Lincoln, a pragmatic politician grounded in principle, deftly navigating the dynamic politics of antislavery, secession, and civil war. Lincoln's greatness emerges from his capacity for moral and political growth.
  second inaugural address pdf: Lincoln Speeches Abraham Lincoln, 2012-08-28 The defining rhetoric of Abraham Lincoln – politician, president, and emancipator Penguin presents a series of six portable, accessible, and—above all—essential reads from American political history, selected by leading scholars. Series editor Richard Beeman, author of The Penguin Guide to the U.S. Constitution, draws together the great texts of American civic life to create a timely and informative mini-library of perennially vital issues. Whether readers are encountering these classic writings for the first time, or brushing up in anticipation of the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, these slim volumes will serve as a powerful and illuminating resource for scholars, students, and civic-minded citizens. As president, Abraham Lincoln endowed the American language with a vigor and moral energy that have all but disappeared from today's public rhetoric. His words are testaments of our history, windows into his enigmatic personality, and resonant examples of the writer's art. Renowned Lincoln and Civil War scholar Allen C. Guelzo brings together this volume of Lincoln Speeches that span the classic and obscure, the lyrical and historical, the inspirational and intellectual. The book contains everything from classic speeches that any citizen would recognize—the first debate with Stephen Douglas, the House Divided Speech, the Gettysburg Address, the Second Inaugural Address—to the less known ones that professed Lincoln fans will come to enjoy and intellectuals and critics praise. These orations show the contours of the civic dilemmas Lincoln, and America itself, encountered: the slavery issue, state v. federal power, citizens and their duty, death and destruction, the coming of freedom, the meaning of the Constitution, and what it means to progress.
  second inaugural address pdf: One Today Richard Blanco, 2015-11-03 One Today is a poem celebrating America. President Barack Obama invited Richard Blanco to write a poem to share at his second presidential inauguration. That poem is One Today, a lush and lyrical, patriotic commemoration of America from dawn to dusk and from coast to coast. Brought to life here by beloved, award-winning artist Dav Pilkey, One Today is a tribute to a nation where the extraordinary happens every single day.
  second inaugural address pdf: The Gettysburg Address Abraham Lincoln, 2009-08-27 The Address was delivered at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on the afternoon of Thursday, November 19, 1863, during the American Civil War, four and a half months after the Union armies defeated those of the Confederacy at the decisive Battle of Gettysburg. In just over two minutes, Lincoln invoked the principles of human equality espoused by the Declaration of Independence and redefined the Civil War as a struggle not merely for the Union, but as a new birth of freedom that would bring true equality to all of its citizens, and that would also create a unified nation in which states' rights were no longer dominant. Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.
  second inaugural address pdf: Lincoln's Political Thought George Kateb, 2015-02-02 One of the most influential philosophers of liberalism turns his attention to the complexity of Lincoln’s political thought. At the center of Lincoln’s career is an intense passion for equality, a passion that runs so deep in the speeches, messages, and letters that it has the force of religious conviction for Lincoln. George Kateb examines these writings to reveal that this passion explains Lincoln’s reverence for both the Constitution and the Union. The abolition of slavery was not originally a tenet of Lincoln’s political religion. He affirmed almost to the end of his life that the preservation of the Union was more important than ending slavery. This attitude was consistent with his judgment that at the founding, the agreement to incorporate slaveholding into the Constitution, and thus secure a Constitution, was more vital to the cause of equality than struggling to keep slavery out of the new nation. In Kateb’s reading, Lincoln destroys the Constitution twice, by suspending it as a wartime measure and then by enacting the Thirteenth Amendment to abolish slavery. The first instance was an effort to save the Constitution; the second was an effort to transform it, by making it answer the Declaration’s promises of equality. The man who emerges in Kateb’s account proves himself adequate to the most terrible political situation in American history. Lincoln’s political life, however, illustrates the unsettling truth that in democratic politics—perhaps in all politics—it is nearly impossible to do the right thing for the right reasons, honestly stated.
  second inaugural address pdf: Abraham Lincoln, Philosopher Statesman Joseph R. Fornieri, 2020-04-17 2015 ISHS Superior Achievement Award What constitutes Lincoln’s political greatness as a statesman? As a great leader, he saved the Union, presided over the end of slavery, and helped to pave the way for an interracial democracy. His great speeches provide enduring wisdom about human equality, democracy, free labor, and free society. Joseph R. Fornieri contends that Lincoln’s political genius is best understood in terms of a philosophical statesmanship that united greatness of thought and action, one that combined theory and practice. This philosophical statesmanship, Fornieri argues, can best be understood in terms of six dimensions of political leadership: wisdom, prudence, duty, magnanimity, rhetoric, and patriotism. Drawing on insights from history, politics, and philosophy, Fornieri tackles the question of how Lincoln’s statesmanship displayed each of these crucial elements. Providing an accessible framework for understanding Lincoln’s statesmanship, this thoughtful study examines the sixteenth president’s political leadership in terms of the traditional moral vision of statecraft as understood by epic political philosophers such as Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas. Fornieri contends that Lincoln’s character is best understood in terms of Aquinas’s understanding of magnanimity or greatness of soul, the crowning virtue of statesmanship. True political greatness, as embodied by Lincoln, involves both humility and sacrificial service for the common good. The enduring wisdom and timeless teachings of these great thinkers, Fornieri shows, can lead to a deeper appreciation of statesmanship and of its embodiment in Abraham Lincoln. With the great philosophers and books of western civilization as his guide, Fornieri demonstrates the important contribution of normative political philosophy to an understanding of our sixteenth president. Informed by political theory that draws on the classics in revealing the timelessness of Lincoln’s example, his interdisciplinary study offers profound insights for anyone interested in the nature of leadership, statesmanship, political philosophy, political ethics, political history, and constitutional law.
  second inaugural address pdf: Let the Word Go Forth John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 1991-10-05 Collected in one illuminating volume, the writings and speeches of John F. Kennedy reveal the man and president who inspired a generation. Here are the words that propelled a nation and moved the world, offering an important portrayal of the 35th president's entire career. Photographs throughout.
  second inaugural address pdf: The Radical and the Republican: Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and the Triumph of Antislavery Politics James Oakes, 2011-02-07 A great American tale told with a deft historical eye, painstaking analysis, and a supple clarity of writing.”—Jean Baker “My husband considered you a dear friend,” Mary Todd Lincoln wrote to Frederick Douglass in the weeks after Lincoln’s assassination. The frontier lawyer and the former slave, the cautious politician and the fiery reformer, the President and the most famous black man in America—their lives traced different paths that finally met in the bloody landscape of secession, Civil War, and emancipation. Opponents at first, they gradually became allies, each influenced by and attracted to the other. Their three meetings in the White House signaled a profound shift in the direction of the Civil War, and in the fate of the United States. James Oakes has written a masterful narrative history, bringing two iconic figures to life and shedding new light on the central issues of slavery, race, and equality in Civil War America.
  second inaugural address pdf: Lincoln at Gettysburg Garry Wills, 2012-12-11 The power of words has rarely been given a more compelling demonstration than in the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln was asked to memorialize the gruesome battle. Instead, he gave the whole nation a new birth of freedom in the space of a mere 272 words. His entire life and previous training, and his deep political experience went into this, his revolutionary masterpiece. By examining both the address and Lincoln in their historical moment and cultural frame, Wills breathes new life into words we thought we knew, and reveals much about a president so mythologized but often misunderstood. Wills shows how Lincoln came to change the world and to effect an intellectual revolution, how his words had to and did complete the work of the guns, and how Lincoln wove a spell that has not yet been broken.
  second inaugural address pdf: Washington's Farewell Address George Washington, 1907
  second inaugural address pdf: Founders' Son Richard Brookhiser, 2014-10-14 Abraham Lincoln grew up in the long shadow of the Founding Fathers. Seeking an intellectual and emotional replacement for his own taciturn father, Lincoln turned to the great men of the founding-Washington, Paine, Jefferson-and their great documents-the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution-for knowledge, guidance, inspiration, and purpose. Out of the power vacuum created by their passing, Lincoln emerged from among his peers as the true inheritor of the Founders' mantle, bringing their vision to bear on the Civil War and the question of slavery. In Founders' Son, celebrated historian Richard Brookhiser presents a compelling new biography of Abraham Lincoln that highlights his lifelong struggle to carry on the work of the Founding Fathers. Following Lincoln from his humble origins in Kentucky to his assassination in Washington, D.C., Brookhiser shows us every side of the man: laborer, lawyer, congressman, president; storyteller, wit, lover of ribald jokes; depressive, poet, friend, visionary. And he shows that despite his many roles and his varied life, Lincoln returned time and time again to the Founders. They were rhetorical and political touchstones, the basis of his interest in politics, and the lodestars guiding him as he navigated first Illinois politics and then the national scene. But their legacy with not sufficient. As the Civil War lengthened and the casualties mounted Lincoln wrestled with one more paternal figure-God the Father-to explain to himself, and to the nation, why ending slavery had come at such a terrible price. Bridging the rich and tumultuous period from the founding of the United States to the Civil War, Founders' Son is unlike any Lincoln biography to date. Penetrating in its insight, elegant in its prose, and gripping in its vivid recreation of Lincoln's roving mind at work, this book allows us to think anew about the first hundred years of American history, and shows how we can, like Lincoln, apply the legacy of the Founding Fathers to our times.
  second inaugural address pdf: Abraham Lincoln: Speeches and Writings Vol. 2 1859-1865 (LOA #46) Abraham Lincoln, 1989-10-01 Abraham Lincoln was the greatest writer of the Civil War as well as its greatest political leader. His clear, beautiful, and at times uncompromisingly severe language forever shaped the nation’s understanding of its most terrible conflict. This volume, along with its companion, Abraham Lincoln: Speeches and Writings 1832–1858, comprises the most comprehensive selection ever published. Over 550 speeches, messages, proclamations, letters, and other writings—including the Inaugural and Gettysburg addresses and the moving condolence letter to Mrs. Bixby—record the words and deeds with which Lincoln defended, preserved, and redefined the Union. LIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation’s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America’s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.
  second inaugural address pdf: Lincoln in New Orleans Richard Campanella, 2010 Lincoln in New Orleans reconstructs, to levels of detail and analyses never before attempted, the nature of Lincoln's two flatboat journeys to New Orleans and examines their influence on Lincoln's life, presidency, and subsequent historiography. It also sheds light on river commerce and New Orleans in the antebellum era.
  second inaugural address pdf: Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass Russell Freedman, 2012 A clear-sighted, carefully researched account of two surprisingly parallel lives and how they intersected at a critical moment in U.S. history.
  second inaugural address pdf: American Speeches Vol. 1 (LOA #166) Edward L. Widmer, Ted Widmer, 2006-10-05 A historian and former presidential speechwriter presents an unprecedented two-volume collection of the greatest speeches in American history.
  second inaugural address pdf: Report on the Condition of the South Carl Schurz, 2022-09-16 DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of Report on the Condition of the South by Carl Schurz. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.
  second inaugural address pdf: Abraham Lincoln and American Political Religion Glen E. Thurow, 1976-06-30 Lincoln's major public speeches are examined in this analysis of his attempt to create a political religion through his language of intense religious feeling.
  second inaugural address pdf: Lincoln's Moral Vision James Tackach, 2002 On March 4, 1865, Abraham Lincoln gave his Second Inaugural Address, the final great speech of his three- decades public career. Delivered a little more than a month before the end of the Civil War and forty-one days before he was assassinated, the speech reveals Lincoln coming to terms with vital moral and political issues with which he had grappled during his political life. This book traces how the speech addresses three critical issues that obsessed him: slavery, race, and religion. Although in early life Lincoln developed a personal distaste for slavery, he never embraced the abolitionist cause. Before his presidency, he endorsed a middle position on slavery, arguing that it could remain legal in the South where it was entrenched, but not be allowed to spread to new territories. On the matter of race Lincoln was a man shaped by the prejudices of his time and place. Before the Civil War he advocated no civil rights for blacks and often asserted that whites should hold a superior position in American society. In religious perspective Lincoln was a skeptic, even accused by one political opponent of being an infidel. But during the political turbulence of the 1850s and during Lincoln's presidency, his positions on these three burning issues shifted dramatically. The profound changes in Lincoln's thinking are evident in the Second Inaugural Address, in which he condemns slavery as a grievous national sin that prompted a just God to deliver upon the United States a fierce punishment in the form of a devastating civil war. This book argues that the Second Inaugural Address was Lincoln's resolution of the moral and political issues of his time and is the key document in Lincoln's entire literary canon. James Tackach, a professor of English at Roger Williams University, is the editor of Slave Narratives and The Battle of Gettysburg and the author of books for young adults, including The Trial of John Brown: Radical Abolitionist and The Emancipation Proclamation: Abolishing Slavery in the South.
  second inaugural address pdf: Lincoln's Words Abraham Lincoln, 2001 Our 16th president is best remembered for his leadership in preserving the Union during the Civil War and initiating the legislation that ended slavery in the United States. Abraham Lincoln is also remembered as a man of humble beginnings, who through determination and perseverance was elected to the highest political position in the United States. A humane, farsighted statesman in his lifetime, he became an American hero after his death. Lincoln has had a lasting influence on American politics, and his character, integrity, and intellect are best revealed in his speeches and letters. Book jacket.
  second inaugural address pdf: This Is Water Kenyon College, 2014-05-22 Only once did David Foster Wallace give a public talk on his views on life, during a commencement address given in 2005 at Kenyon College. The speech is reprinted for the first time in book form in THIS IS WATER. How does one keep from going through their comfortable, prosperous adult life unconsciously' How do we get ourselves out of the foreground of our thoughts and achieve compassion' The speech captures Wallace's electric intellect as well as his grace in attention to others. After his death, it became a treasured piece of writing reprinted in The Wall Street Journal and the London Times, commented on endlessly in blogs, and emailed from friend to friend. Writing with his one-of-a-kind blend of causal humor, exacting intellect, and practical philosophy, David Foster Wallace probes the challenges of daily living and offers advice that renews us with every reading.
  second inaugural address pdf: Abraham Lincoln's Speeches Abraham Lincoln, 1908