1. Revise your paper.
2. Read pp. 203- 204 in your textbook.
3. Read the handout I gave you in class.
4. Comment on: Lincoln's rational for fighting the Civil War changed from his Gettysburg Address to his Second Inaugural Speech. What changed and why do you think it changed?
5. Comment on: What factors did Lincoln have to consider before he issued the Emancipation Proclamation and why did he ultimately decide to issue it.
In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln mainly addressed the cause of keeping the Union together and preserving democracy. His main points were that the idea of democracy, the idea of giving power to the people to choose their government, was being tested with this war, and that people had died to preserve such an remarkable system. To ensure that those soldiers' fighting was not taken in vain, Lincoln proposed that they as leaders owed the same devotion to preserving democracy. In the Second Inaugural Speech, however, became more accusatory of the South in their desire to break up the Union. This speech was more abstract, citing God’s will as the cause for these events and saying that it had been predetermined for the war to be fought on the basis of slavery. Lincoln’s feelings changed because, by then, he had reconsidered the cause of the war. The true conflict had really been over the morality and expansion of slavery, and that was what led several Southern states to secede. Lincoln realized that, without his knowing so, that slavery had been a major cause of the Civil War. At this time, black people were serving in the Union army, and the freeing of many slaves had damaged the Southern economy and social system. Things began to go in favor of the North for the first time throughout the war. Lincoln felt as if these turn of events made abolishing slavery the will of a higher power, which was why he changed his point of view.
ReplyDeleteLincoln had to consider many pros and cons while deliberating the coming of emancipation of slaves. Some benefits would have been to appease the public population of the Northern states (as more of them began to agree with the Republicans on their more radical stance), to damage the Southern economy and lifestyle and give the Northerners an upper hand, and to use the slaves that were freed as more soldiers in their troops. In addition, there also was the moral implication, which Lincoln had supported when campaigning for the Senate in Illinois that no person of the United States should be held in slavery. The cons, however, could prove to have outweighed the pros. Lincoln's goal was to achieve emancipation over a long period of time, which wasn't an option in this case. Not emancipating slaves immediately would anger the Republicans, avoid isolating the slave-states that remained in the Union, and flare intense racist feelings throughout the country. Lincoln proposed the Emancipation Proclamation for two main reasons. One, because the public began to clamor more in favor of immediate action and Lincoln began to feel pressure. Two, because the North needed desperate aid. They were losing the war, and could use some of the benefits that freeing the black people would offer. Putting the South at a direct disadvantage by usurping structure from their economical and social aspects of life would reduce morale even further down there. Plus, with the extra soldiers and manpower in the Union armies, they would have more strength to defeat the South and keep the Union together. Freeing the slaves, in this case, served a state rather than a humanitarian cause, and the moral implications were merely a side effect in this fight for freedom of slaves.
In order to handle the status of slavery the status of slavery in the Northern and Southern states during the war, Lincoln needed to consider how each side would react. He knew that if he offered an immediate proclamation abolishing slavery, then the South would reject his administration. He also knew that the majority of people in the North and the South had deep prejudice against African-Americans, and wished to offend neither. At this point in time, Lincoln wanted to preserve the Union and prevent further secession. However, the Republican Party was pressuring the President to address Confederate slavery. Thus, Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation to placate those in his party and prevent dissension in his administration.
ReplyDeleteThe Emancipation Proclamation proclaimed that slaves in the Confederate states would be free and recognized by the US military and navy. It also enabled freed slaves to enlist in the military and urged them to avoid from violence unless necessary. All of this would be in affect after one hundred days. The Proclamation was a stopgap measure to end Republicans doubts and fears in order to gradually abolish slavery. Lincoln addressed himself as not only the President of the United States, but the “Commander-in-Chief, of the Army and Navy of the United States” ruling “in time of actual armed rebellion against the authority and government of the United States.” Lincoln found the Proclamation as a “fit and necessary war measure for suppressing said rebellion.” Lincoln’s reason for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation was to 1) appease his Republican party’s pleas to address slavery, 2) weaken the Confederacy through declaring all slaves free, and 3) protect and preserve the Union from the Confederate threat. Ultimately, the Proclamation showed that the Lincoln administration aimed to abolish slavery.
In Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, he declared, “Government of the people by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Lincoln referred to keeping the nation alive for those who died to conceive the liberty of this nation and the belief that “all men are created equal.” Lincoln’s rationale for fighting the Civil War was to protect and preserve the Union. He wanted people to fight in the defense of the basic liberties America was founded on. Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Speech contrasted his Gettysburg Address. His rationale for fighting the Civil War changed from protecting the Union to abolishing slavery. In his speech Lincoln claimed “interest” of slavery was “somehow, the cause of the war.” Lincoln’s rationale changed because he realized that the war would not end until slavery ended when he said, “Neither [side] anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with, or even before, the conflict itself should cease.” In the Speech, Lincoln addressed his prior belief that, “the government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it [slavery].” The focus of the Civil War changed for Lincoln as African-Americans enlisted in the army and fought against the Confederacy. Lincoln realized that African-Americans and the Union were on the same side, fighting for the fundamental American liberties that slavery blatantly violates. Lincoln’s focus shifted less on fighting the war in defense of principles and more on ending the war through abolishing slavery.
I agree with your points Sabina and Lauren! In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln definitely focused on how it was the living's responsibility to preserve the Union and, therefore, insure that those that died during the Civil War so far had not done so in vain. This speech is positive and determined and also does not point fingers at anyone or any side. Also the only time he hints at the slavery conflict is when he describes the nation as dedicated to the idea that "all men are created equal". In Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, he distinguishes the North from the South by saying that while one side was trying to save the Union without war, the other was attempting to destroy it with war. As well he says, one side made war, while the other accepted war in order to preserve the Union. He also proclaims slavery to be the main cause of the Civil War. He also further describes his beliefs on slavery, as Sabina said, including God in his analysis. Concluding, he says that the North must finish "the work we are in" and repair the Union. One of the reasons he changes his tone from one speech to the next is probably because of the difference in time. The second speech begins to set the precedent for what he wants to happen in the later years of the Civil War and after it concludes. Originally his focus was to preserve the Union, but once the North had begun succeeding in the battles of the Civil War, he still wanted to preserve the Union, but also he wanted to take the opportunity to finally settle the slavery conflict.
ReplyDeleteEarly on in the war, the North believed the Civil War would be a quick victory; so abolishing slavery was still only a valid idea to abolitionists. But as the war lagged on, the North began to believe that it would benefit the North in the war to damage the South economically and socially. Along with this, blacks were escaping from their plantations, offering themselves as soldiers to the North, but also pressuring the government to determine their status. Lincoln, though, was still reluctant to commit to the emancipation of slavery because he didn’t want to disturb his relationship with Unionists. Also, in the North and South, most whites were racist towards the blacks. Lincoln decided to propose a gradual emancipation. After public pressure, though, Lincoln resolved to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. He stated that the proclamation was for “military necessity” and did not have any moral grounds. Now, the abolition of slavery was a war aim. Lincoln had to think about how the decision would affect the popularity of his administration and he also had to think about how the proclamation would affect the war. He also had to factor in the major prejudices against the black race that were present in the North and South and how freeing the slaves would effect American life post-war. Eventually public pressure gave him no other option, which is one of the bigger reasons he accelerated the emancipation of the slaves.
When Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address his main purpose was to keep the union together. He reference the sacrifices that the men from the Revolutionary to keep the union together. He states “Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that war.” In this he says that because of our founding fathers we deserved to keep the union together. Like Sabina I agree that Lincoln’s main idea was to preserve the idea of democracy and to keep the union together. He also is very bi-partisan and doesn’t blame the South on their actions but only on the fact that they want to leave the union. Then in his Second Inaugural address he turned the conflict of slavery in a moral issue. He said “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 appointment time…” In response to the slavery issue. In this he now turned it into a moral issue. He states that the Slaves deserve the same rights as we do and the fact that the South wasn’t not allowing this made this war a moral issue. He now blames the South and blames them for their opinions about slavery.
ReplyDeleteLincoln had to consider the social problems when freeing the slaves and the economic implication. Not everybody in the north and the west were Abolitionist and many still thought they were better than African-Americans not only mentally but socially too. However Lincoln rectify this fear by saying that the point of the emancipation was because the North needed the military power. Since there was also public pressure from powerful Abolition’s in the north the emancipation proclamation solved that. Also Lincoln had to think about the economic implications. When all the slaves were freed they would have no place to go. Because of racism many would not get hired over white people and they would be without a job and a way to support themselves. However with the pressure he was facing of trying to win the war the proclamation
Kelly Burns
I most definitely agree with what my class mates have said before me. In his first speech, the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln speaks of the efforts of the nation, mainly the North, and the struggles many fighters have had to go through. He starts by saying that when our nation was created “all men are created equal” too. He now implies this is not the case, because we are fighting a civil war. He says the nation is being tested and in order for the nation to life once again, the men who died fighting for the cause must be recognized. Lincoln wants it to be known that it is important to remember the actions of the men who gave their life for the cause, because people will not remember what politicians are saying, but what the people are doing. Mainly he says that the effort cannot be in vain and the war will cannot cause the nation to perish, the people will stand strong.
ReplyDeleteIn Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Speech, however, the tone has changed from one of a nation that will soon be brought back together to one that is blaming the South and only the South for the causes of the Civil War and that God’s hand is now involved in the war as well. He says “…the insurgents would rend the Union, even by war; while the government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it [slavery].” It is very clear here that Lincoln is blaming the South for starting the Civil War. The “insurgents” specifically caused war against the North, who was just trying to stop the growth of slave trade, obviously not trying to start a war. In the Gettysburg Address I believe Lincoln was expecting the war to be over soon and for everything to go back to normal, but now because the war has gone on for so long, Lincoln needs someone to blame for it and he chooses the South. In the Inaugural Speech, Lincoln also speaks about God and how God’s hand has played a role in the war. He talks about how both sides of fighting pray to the same God, and most likely ask him the same thing: to destroy the enemy. Lincoln realizes that God has his own plans, and that just because both sides are praying for the other’s annihilation doesn’t mean they’re going to get it. Lincoln continues to blame the South once more when he says, “He [God] now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South, this terrible war, as the woe due to those by whom the offence came….” By whom the offence came is obviously the South, the people Lincoln has chosen to blame for the war. I think he needed a specific “enemy” so that the North looked good to those supporting it and that people in the borderline states would choose to support the North over the South with the idea that the South started this whole thing, and that’s the reason why so many people are dead. Lincoln has become a military leader in the Second Inaugural Address, he wants to win the war, and this is how he chooses to accomplish that goal.
Question 2:
DeleteThere were many factors Lincoln had to consider before issuing the Proclamation, but I think one of the most important ones was going to be the reaction of border slave states to the Proclamation. During the Civil War, Lincoln obviously wanted to win, but he had to be strategic so as to gain support from swing states. It’s like a political election, he can’t come out and blatantly say whatever’s on his mind, it must be strategic because it’s war. If Lincoln wanted to keep whatever was left of the Union together and possibly gain support from swing states he had to be smart about the words he chose. He also had to either support emancipation or go against it or he would have lost the support of the Republicans and most of the North, who favored emancipation. Lincoln also had to consider the effect the Emancipation Proclamation would have on the Southern economy and social pyramid. The Proclamation would eventually affect plantation owners, middle class working whites, and slaves or freed blacks. When Lincoln issued the Proclamation, he gave the Confederate states one hundred days to stop the war without the threat of losing their slaves. They did not respond to this so Lincoln decided that all slaves in Confederate states were forever free. This would have a large effect on the South because they could lose their slaves if the slaves ran away and sought refuge in a Northern army camp or state. Lincoln justified his Emancipation Proclamation by saying it was out of military necessity and not simply because enslaving people was a bad thing to do. I think Lincoln realized that if he had come out as an ardent abolitionist, he would have lost the support of the swing states and perhaps some Republicans as well. Lincoln was a smart man and I believe his overall decisions had a great effect on the ending of the Civil War.
In Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, he focused on the powerful devotion and dedication that both the North and the South possessed. Furthermore, he took pity on those that died for that devotion and said that they did not die "in vain". He said this to the "nation", not specifically the North or the South, for the purpose of unifying them in their dedication to each of their separate causes. However, in his Second Inaugural Address, he separated them and started placing the blame. As Olivia and Lauren said, he had a biased and almost bitter tone in this speech. He said, "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." In this excerpt, the implication is that it was completely the South's fault that the war started, and that the North only fought back out of defense for the well being of the entire nation. This change in tone could be because the South's defense was becoming weaker, and therefore he did not worry as much about keeping the idea of the nation unified alive. In the Gettysburg Address, he also did not address the issue of slavery head on, which he later does in his Second Inaugural Address. This different rational could be what Olivia explained as him being assertive with the abolition of slavery because of the changes of the Union caused by the war.
ReplyDeleteAt first, Lincoln was very reluctant to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. He was in favor of a gradual emancipation, which he thought would be more beneficial and less destructive to the nation. Any form of immediate emancipation at the start of the war would have pushed the South further away, which is what Lincoln was trying to avoid. He was working to promote the benefits of staying in one nation. Immediate action would have caused the South to rebel further than they already had. The usage of slavery was essential to the Southern economy and was also apart of their way of life. If slavery was emancipated at that time, the societal hierarchies and economy of the south would be in disarray. However, a gradual emancipation would have helped the south with a smooth transition. Furthermore, Lincoln also did not want to alienate the border states, which would further prevent him from succeeding in his goal of keeping the union together. In 1863, Lincoln finally implemented the Emancipation Proclamation. By finally issuing this proclamation, Lincoln avoided the imminent split of the Republican party. There were also other benefits, such as the allowance of black people in the armed services.
(1).
ReplyDeleteBetween the Gettysburg and the second Inaugural Speech, Lincoln's rational for fighting the war changed. At the Address, he refereed to the war as "testing whether [America], or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure." The war was over the Union's endurance, not over politics or slavery. The purpose of the war was to unite America. When the Second Inaugural Speech came around, the war became over slavery and over God. Slavery was something that "He now wills to remove," and Lincoln dressed it up as such. The Civil War became a crusade. To own a slave was to go against God. It can be obviously seen from this that "Church and State" were obviously far from separate. The war also became about stopping the South. The South had a mission to "destroy [the Union]", and to "make war". He blamed the Civil War on the Confederacy, and it was the duty of the Union to stop the Confederacy, which Lincoln made others perceive as evil and perverse.
(2).
Lincoln, facing before him the important task of passing the Emancipation Proclamation, had many obstacles to overcome. The first would be the racism of many people within the Union, including himself. Many Northerners saw the was as one about the Union and its preservation, whereas only the most ardent abolitionists were for the all out abolition of slavery. There were many who would fervently oppose such abolition. Slave holders that were loyal to the Union are included in this. Also we must take into account the large influx of immigrants, mainly Irish, who were largely anti-abolitionists. There was already a largely Irish riot against Union actions (in this case, in opposition to the draft) and to threaten another such incident would seem foolish on Lincoln's part. Also, many Democrats in the Union would not see the slaves freed.
At the same time, Lincoln saw a huge opportunity in emancipation. Not only would the Union gain labor and military manpower from freed slaves, but the South would face a diminished economy. This would be the crushing blow to the South, as until the point of emancipation the war was about even. Slaves would run from their plantations to the Union and its armies, and join its armies. Emancipation would win the war.
In his Gettysburg Address of 1843, Lincoln accentuates the importance of preventing "a government of the people by the people for the people" from perishing from the earth. At this point, Lincoln seems to be holding back from placing blame on either side, instead choosing to not deride either in the hope of keeping the Union together. However, as many have already said, his Second Inaugural Address seems to take on a more resentful and blaming tone. He really begins to blame the South for the conflict facing the country, acting as if the North had no part in starting the war. By this point, the war had escalated to a point that had not been seen when Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address. With this information, one can deduct that Lincoln's interest in keeping the Union together took a backseat to his goal of ending the war and keeping the Republican party together. By openly condemning the South, the North-based republicans could be convinced that Lincoln was undoubtedly on their side. The change in tone from the Gettysburg Address to the Second Inaugural Address could be attributed exclusively to either of these factors, but chances are that it was a combination of both.
ReplyDeleteAs is obvious, the South and North had huge social, economic, and political differences since the forming of the Union. However, slavery was one of the most prominent, and the issue that constituted the most social debate. In the eyes of the South, the slaves were property and a means to continue their agricultural way of life. In the North, slavery was wrong, not only morally, but in the eyes of God as well. The issue presented such volatile and unsteady connotations that all of the "solutions" implemented prior to the Civil War only fanned the flames of the issue and instigated both sides. The issue also lived in the parties of the Union, with Southern Democrats advocating for the expansion of slavery and Northern Republicans wishing to contain or abolish it. Even after the Civil War commenced, the issue festered in the federal government. Completely abolishing slavery immediately and without thought would have had serious backlash for the government and the people. At the beginning of the war, Lincoln was all about keeping the Union together and preserving democracy, despite the war. However, as was discussed after reading his Second Inaugural Address, that imperative became foggy as the war progressed and simply beating the South became the main issue. With the preservation of the Union not as important in Lincoln's mind, the inhibitions remaining regarding emancipating the slaves began to dissolve. The North wanted slavery abolished, and many began to question which side Lincoln was on. By issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln appeased the freedom-hungry Republicans and also added a significant amount of African-American troops to the Union army. Although issuing the emancipation of the slaves may have been a relatively unpredictable choice, Lincoln's decision to do so would ultimately benefit the North.
1. Lincoln's rational for fighting the Civil War changed from his Gettysburg Address to his Second Inaugural Speech. What changed and why do you think it changed?
ReplyDeleteAs Jane said, Lincoln was addressing the “nation” in the Gettysburg Address and not specifically speaking to one side or the other. Lincoln still has a small bit of hope that the sides can be reunited under one Union and that the fighting of all men who already did will not go to waste. Lincoln still has hope “that the nation might live,” and “the the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom.” Lincoln was clinging to the idea of reuniting the Union, though his view changed by his Second Inaugural Address. Lincoln no longer mentions the “nation” except when saying, “Both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive.” By this time Lincoln had accepted the fact that the nation was past saving, and now they are split groups fighting each other in war. I agree with Clare that Lincoln is blaming the South for starting the violence. He is saying that it is God’s will that they continue fighting the South “until all the wealth piled by the bond-man’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be suck, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword.” Lincoln shifted from having hope of a compromise to wanting to annihilate the South for starting this violence if God allows it,
2. What factors did Lincoln have to consider before he issued the Emancipation Proclamation and why did he ultimately decide to issue it?
Lincoln was hesitant to issue the Emancipation Proclamation at first because he did not consider himself an abolitionist. He categorized himself as a white supremacist that believed it was immoral to enslave blacks, but did not believe in racial equality. Though, as time passed and the war dragged on, Lincoln saw that emancipating blacks and allowing them to enlist in the army would be beneficial to the North in their fight against the South. The North would be able to eventually overrule the South in their numbers if the African Americans would join them in battle. If in battle, each side killed one for one, the North would win with their numbers. As Lincoln became more of a military leader over the years of battle, he saw the benefits of allowing more men to join. But Lincoln also had to consider the factors of the South being more adamantly opposed to ever rejoining the Union. Since the Union was too far gone to save, Lincoln only considered the positive effects of granting emancipation to the African Americans.
1) As many people have stated, the obvious difference between the Gettysburg Address and Lincoln's Second Inaugural Speech is the audience each was specifically targeted towards. The Gettysburg address targeted no one in particular, and tried to bring the nation together as a whole without putting one specific group at fault for the events of the Civil War. Lincoln speaks about bringing the whole Union together in order to ensure that the deaths of those who had already passed in battle were not in vain. Lincoln attempted to bring the Union back together under the premise of honoring their fallen, whether from the North or South. However, in his Second Inaugural Address, Lincoln specifically mentions the North and South and differentiates the two. Julia pointed out that Lincoln says, "Both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive." Lincoln clearly divides the nation here, pointing fingers at the South as those that would "make war rather than let the nation survive." This is a bold move on Lincoln's part, but he also talks later in the speech about God's will and about how it is now the North's duty to continue to fight the South until they are "even" and have gotten back at the South for seceding and starting the fighting in the first place. Between the Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address, Lincoln turns his point of view from impartial to one side and looking out solely for the good of the Union, to saying that the only way good can be brought to the Union is if the South is taken down.
ReplyDelete2) Before issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln had to consider how his image would change. He had always been very careful about how he presented his views on black people and their rights, walking the line between believing that blacks should have equal rights as whites and that they should continue to remain below whites on the social totem pole. When issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln risked angering the people who believed that blacks were property, and obscuring his image or confusing the public. As multiple people have already pointed out, Lincoln also saw huge military advantages in freeing the black slaves. As we all saw in Glory, colored armies were very effective in the Civil War and it is believed that the North could not have won if it weren't for their participation. When Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation he allowed black people to join the Union and took away the slave labor that the South so heavily depended on, which was a win-win situation for the North and was a huge contributing factor to their victory in the end.
1) When Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address, he was three years into his presidency and about two years into the war. In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln sums up his rationale for fighting the civil war in one key sentence: “…that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.” Lincoln stated in this last part of his speech that he was fighting the war in order that the union might hold together. In a larger sense, he was fighting the war in order to prove that a democratic government is in fact possible. By the time Lincoln was giving his second inaugural address, his rationale had changed immensely. To Lincoln, the Civil War had become more of a religious war over the morality of slavery. In his speech, he references the Bible several times and states that he thinks that it is God’s will that slavery be ended. He says: “If we shall suppose that American Slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove…” It is hard to tell why Lincoln’s attitude towards the war changed, it may have been due to a personal revelation.
ReplyDelete2) The Emancipation Proclamation was a purely political and strategic move on Lincoln’s part. The decision to issue the proclamation was not an easy one. There were three main problems that Lincoln had to consider with the proclamation. The first was the constitutionality of the act. This problem could be overcome easily while the war lasted because the proclamation was within the wartime powers of the president, however, when the war ended, there was likely to be a constitutional debate over the proclamation. The second consideration was the loyalty of the Border States. If the proclamation was passed, the north was likely to alienate the Border States and push them into secession. The final thing that Lincoln had to consider was the benefit of the Emancipation Proclamation. If the slaves in the South could be freed, then the South’s economy and thus their ability to wage war would be greatly diminished. In the end, the benefits of the Proclamation outweighed the negative considerations, and that is why Lincoln made the decision to issue the proclamation.
1.) Lincoln's rational for fighting the Civil War changed from his Gettysburg Address to his Second Inaugural Speech. What changed and why do you think it changed?
ReplyDeleteAbraham Lincoln’s rational for fighting the Civil War changed from his Gettysburg Address to his Second Inaugural Speech. In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln aimed to use the death of the soldiers to devote people to the freedom of slaves. In his powerful, final statement in the 1863 Gettysburg Address, Lincoln said, “…that we hear highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people and for the people, shall not perish from this earth.” Lincoln’s view was to make sure that this bloody war would not be fought for nothing. Lincoln wanted to be sure that the slaves would eventually be free. A failure to reach this ultimate goal would not satisfy Lincoln. In Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, his purpose was to make people think about the overall worth of the Civil war. Lincoln said:
Yet if God wills that it continue, until all the wealth piled by the bond man’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said ‘the judgments of the Lord, are true and righteous altogether.’
Here, Lincoln displays the negative side to being involved in this long, bloody war. By putting these fears out in the open, he attempted to change the mindset of the American people. Lincoln wanted everyone to realize that even though slavery was terrible, the war itself was hurting the nation more than it was helping it.
2.) What factors did Lincoln have to consider before he issued the Emancipation Proclamation and why did he ultimately decide to issue it.
Before Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation, the main factor he had to consider was not losing the support of the border slave states. Coupled with this fear, Lincoln needed to decide how quickly he wanted to abolish slavery. If Lincoln abolished slavery to quickly, and lost the border slave states, he would ultimately put himself at a severe disadvantage in the war. Also, Lincoln needed to consider how racism would effect the black population if he were to abolish slavery. Lincoln knew that equality would not come easily, and for that reason decided to advocate for a gradual emancipation. Lincoln ultimately decided to issue the Emancipation Proclamation because the slaveholding states did not accept his gradual emancipation plan. Also, Lincoln issued his proclamation to keep the Republican party from splitting up. This would have created even more division in the already hectic political dispute. Lastly, the Union army failed to secure the south’s institution.
1. Lincoln rationalized fighting the Civil War in his Gettysburg Address by stating America was established upon the proposition that "all men are created equal." He says that a Civil War has occurred because it is a test if a nation can truly hold men that are all created equal. Lincoln says the Union must fight because it is the right thing to do for men who died fighting for the Union and to stop the spread of slavery because that goes against the saying "all men are created equal." Lincoln rationalizes the Civil War by saying it is the way to achieve a "government of the people by the people for the people." In Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, he changed his rationalization for fighting the Civil War by claiming the South was the aggressor nation and the North only fought in hopes to save the nation: "but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive: and the other would accept war rather than let it perish." Lincoln also stated that the Civil War occurred for as long as it did because it was the act of God. He thinks God wanted the war to continue for so long because it was His plan to judge those: "the judgements of the Lord, are true and righteous altogether." Lincoln most likely changed his reasoning because even though the North ended up winning the Civil War, Lincoln did not want to glorify a war that tore a nation apart and wanted to most likely justify why the war continued as long as it did and why so many people died.
ReplyDelete2. Before issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln had to consider alienating border slave states. He did not want to upset or lose support from Unionist in slave states which he knew would happen is he issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Secondly, Lincoln himself favored a slow form of emancipation most likely so it would grow customary upon people instead of being forced upon them. Also, even though many people favored stopping the spread of slavery, they did not support abolishing it, especially southerners. Lincoln thought that men would not support immediate emancipation. But, he ultimately decided to issue it because the Union suffered some loses in the spring and summer of 1862 and needed something to give them the upper hand over the South. Also, some Union states refused to abide by Lincoln's idea of gradual emancipation.
In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln focused on keeping the Union together. He also spoke about the commitment of both the North and the South. Lincoln's speech was uplifting, because it did not have a bias or put the blame on a particular side. Lincoln is speaking to both sides in the Gettysburg Address and by doing he is bringing the North and the South together as one rather than continuing to keep them separate. Lincoln does expose something about the conflict of slavery when he states that "all men are created equal." The difference between the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Speech is how in the Gettysburg Address he speaks as though the North and South have come together as one and throughout the Address he continually uses the word "we" making it sound like everyone is joined. In the Second Inaugural Speech he specifically differentiates between the North and the South. Lincoln says, " One of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish." He states that slavery was the cause of the Civil War. Lincoln speaks about God when trying to express his own beliefs on slavery. "It may seem strange that any men should dare ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces."
ReplyDeleteThe North had been confident that the war would be an easy and swift win for them. Over time as the war continued the North tried to look for ways that would help them get on top in the war. They were convinced that if they went after the South both socially as well as economically it would greatly help them. The North was beginning to get offers from blacks to be soldiers and aid the North. At the point Lincoln was still hesitant with the emancipation of slavery. He was not quite ready to carry out with the plan. Lincoln believed that if he decided to go through with the emancipation of slavery then he would ruin his alliance that he had with all Unionists. The blacks were aware that whites were racist towards them. Lincoln finally decided to put in the place the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln backed up his plan by discussing the purpose and how it was needed for the military. Through all of this Lincoln had to consider how it would affect him and how others would start to view him. He knew that it was very possible for him to lose his popularity. Another problem that had to be faced was that if slaves were to be freed, then how would that change the life of Americans. In the end Lincoln went with it and the emancipation of slaves had gone through. It wasn't Lincoln who really wanted to make it happen, but rather it was the pressure he was under from the public and he believed he had no other alternative.
1) Abraham Lincoln’s rational for fighting the Civil War in his Gettysburg Address was his dedication to the idea that “all men are created equal” and that the South had been ignoring it through slavery, even though the idea of equality is stated in the Constitution. Lincoln’s goal was to preserve the Union and bring back the South back into it. He mentions that the war was a testing of whether the nation could endure long enough without breaking apart and stay united as a single Union. Lincoln said: “…that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth”. Lincoln acknowledged the deaths of the people who had died during the war trying to protect the Union and said that “the living” would have to fight for those comrades who devoted their lives to their country for freedom and true democracy. However, his views changed during his Second Inaugural Speech. He said that the war was the will of God and that the God gave this terrible challenge to both North and South for unequally treating human beings through slavery and other matters. He added: “if God will that it [the Civil War] continue… so still it must be said “the judgments of the Lord, are true and righteous altogether””. Lincoln changed his views because he did not want to be the cause of thousands of deaths in this malicious war, and as it all started out as a “higher” matter of morals of slavery, it should end as the will of God.
ReplyDelete2) Issuing the Emancipation Proclamation must have been a tough decision for Lincoln, as he had to figure out what he was going to do with all the free blacks that were now looking for jobs and how was he going to overcome the border of racism. However, the decision was made to issue the Proclamation because of several reasons. First of all, his main goal during his presidency was to abolish slavery and he also did not want to let down people who supported him for the ideas of equality. Secondly, by freeing all the slaves, he could have more manpower from the border states that had slaves but were still on the North’s side. And finally, he could worsen the Southern economy by abolishing slavery, which would put South in a disadvantageous position.