United States History Student Edition

E Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address March 4, 1865 At his 1865 inauguration, Lincoln reflected on the causes of the war and the peace that should follow.

PRIMARY SOURCE: SPEECH “ These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was somehow the cause of the war. . . . Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained . . . . Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. . . . 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 EVALUATE SOURCES AND USE EVIDENCE Refer back to the Compelling Question and the Supporting Questions you developed at the beginning of the lesson. 1. Drawing Conclusions How did Lincoln’s views about slavery change throughout the years? 2. Summarizing Write a sentence that summarizes Lincoln’s beliefs about slavery. 3. Gathering Sources Which sources helped you answer the Supporting Questions and the Compelling Question? Which sources, if any, challenged what you thought you knew when you first created your Supporting Questions? What information do you still need in order to answer your questions? What other viewpoints would you like to investigate? Where would you find that information? 4. Evaluating Sources Identify the sources that helped answer your Supporting Questions. How Complete Your Inquiry

orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations. ” — from the Second Inaugural Address of Abraham Lincoln, March 4, 1865

constituted made up peculiar special attain to reach

EXAMINE THE SOURCE Drawing Conclusions Does President Lincoln wish to punish slaveholders and the South when the war is over? Do you think the rest of the Union felt the same way? Why?

reliable is each source? How would you verify the reliability of each source?

COMMUNICATE CONCLUSIONS 5. Collaborating Work with a partner to discuss Lincoln’s changing views about slavery. How do these sources provide insight as to why Lincoln’s views changed? Share your conclusions with the class. TAKE INFORMED ACTION Discussing How Social Media Affects Leadership Newspapers during the Civil War published specific political opinions about Abraham Lincoln’s views on slavery. Invite a news editor to your classroom to discuss how social media influences the public’s views about government leaders and policies today.

Lincoln, Abraham. “Second Inaugural Address.” Washington, D.C., March 4, 1865. Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Abraham Lincoln Papers: Series 3.

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