Lincoln's Greatest Speech: The Second Inaugural
- ISBN-10
- 0743212983
- ISBN-13
- 9780743212984
- Category
- History / United States / Civil War Period (1850-1877)
- Pages
- 254
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2002
- Publisher
- Simon & Schuster
- Author
- Ronald Cedric White
Description
After four years of unspeakable horror and sacrifice on both sides, the Civil War was about to end. On March 4, 1865, at his Second Inaugural, President Lincoln did not offer the North the victory speech it yearned for, nor did he blame the South solely for the sin of slavery. Calling the whole nation to account, Lincoln offered a moral framework for peace and reconciliation. The speech was greeted with indifference, misunderstanding, and hostility by many in the Union. But it was a great work, the victorious culmination of Lincoln's own lifelong struggle with the issue of slavery, and he well understood it to be his most profound speech. Eventually this "with malice toward none" address would be accepted and revered as one of the greatest in the nation's history.
In 703 words, delivered slowly, Lincoln transformed the meaning of the suffering brought about by the Civil War. He offered reunification, not revenge. Among those present were black soldiers and confederate deserters, ordinary citizens from all over, the black leader Frederick Douglass, the Cabinet, and other notables. John Wilkes Booth is visible in the crowd behind the president as he addresses posterity.
Ronald C. White's compelling description of Lincoln's articulation of the nation's struggle and of the suffering of all -- North, South, soldier, slave -- offers new insight into Lincoln's own hard-won victory over doubt, and his promise of redemption and hope. White demonstrates with authority and passion how these words, delivered only weeks before his assassination, were the culmination of Lincoln's moral and rhetorical genius.
Get the book
Other editions
Similar books
-
The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant: 1873
By Ulysses Simpson GrantInaugurated for a second term on March 4, 1873, Ulysses S. Grant gave an address that was both inspiring and curiously bitter.
-
The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant: 1875
By Ulysses Simpson GrantThis is my ground, and I am sitting on it.” In May, Sioux leaders traveled to the capital, where Grant renewed efforts to persuade them to relocate to Indian Territory, “south of where you now live, where the climate is very much better ...
-
The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant: January 1-October 31, 1876
By Ulysses Simpson GrantAfter whites massacred black militia in South Carolina, Grant warned that unchecked persecution would lead to "bloody revolution." As violence spread, Grant struggled to position limited forces where they could do the most good.
-
The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant: November 16, 1864-February 20, 1865
By Ulysses Simpson GrantDuring the winter of 1864–65, the end of the Civil War neared as Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant maintained pressure against the dying Confederacy.
-
The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant: June 1, 1871-January 31, 1872
By Ulysses Simpson GrantIn his third annual message to the nation, Ulysses S. Grant stated the obvious: "The condition of the Southern States is, unhappily, not such as all true patriotic citizens would like to see.
-
The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant: October 1, 1880-December 31, 1882
By Ulysses Simpson GrantInitial enthusiasm soon gave way to rancor, as factions split over where to place the fair. Grant favored Central Park, but public sentiment intervened, and funding evaporated. By March, Grant resigned.
-
The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant: October 1, 1867-June 30, 1868
By Ulysses Simpson GrantIn spite of his public silence, Grant was caught in the dispute between Congress and President Andrew Johnson. His position became intolerable after Johnson publicly accused Grant of dishonesty.
-
The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant: February 1-December 31, 1872
By Ulysses Simpson GrantNotified of his nomination for a second term in June 1872, Ulysses S. Grant accepted, promising "the same zeal and devotion to the good of the whole people for the future of my official life, as shown in the past.
-
The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant: January 1-May 31, 1864
By Ulysses Simpson GrantJanuary 1-May 31, 1864 Ulysses S. Grant John Y. Simon. ( Continued from front flap ) Major General William T. Sherman . He established an effective partnership with Abraham Lincoln , most notably through a letter of May 1 thanking the ...
-
Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A - C.
By Jeanne T. Heidler, David S. HeidlerLINCOLN , MARY TODD War ( 1995 ) ; and Wilkes Booth Came to Washington by Larry Starkey ( 1976 ) . According to this theory , Lincoln was considered a war target and fair game for assassination . Papers found on the body of Ulric ...