LAD #19: Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Address

Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address was short to say the least. Straight from the beginning, Lincoln says that there is not that much new news to tell the nation and that the general public knew about the progression of the war as well as he did. He also says that his first inaugural address was all about saving the nation without war, but now war was happening because the parties could not get along with each other. Continuing on, he talks a little bit about how slavery led to the war and how the war has exceeded the worst expectations of both the confederacy and the union. He also speaks of God and how both sides of the war had prayed to God, but that he believes that God has his own plan. He concludes by saying that he will complete the war, repair the nation and care for the soldiers.


This can be synthesized to one of Franklin Deleanor Roosevelt's inaugural speeches which he gave during war time, as Lincoln did in his address. FDR's first inaugural address was also like Lincoln's first because they both wanted to help the nation without war, and they were each handed the nation in a trying time- Lincoln during the abolitionist movement and FDR during the Great Depression.