What is the main idea of this excerpt of Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address?
On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago, all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil-war. All dreaded it — all sought to avert it. While the inaugural address was being delivered from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, insurgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war — seeking to dissolve the Union, and divide effects, by negotiation. 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. And the war came.
A.
Both the Union and the Confederacy wanted to destroy their enemy.
B.
Both the Union and the Confederacy were responsible for the Civil War.
C.
Both the Union and the Confederacy desired total authority by eliminating the other.
D.
Both the Union and the Confederacy suffered huge economic losses due to the Civil War.
E.
Both the Union and the Confederacy had stockpiled deadly weapons for the Civil War.
Balls
The main idea of this excerpt of Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address is that both the Union and the Confederacy did not initially desire war but were pushed into it due to conflicting motivations and actions. Therefore, the correct answer is B. Both the Union and the Confederacy were responsible for the Civil War.
To determine the main idea of this excerpt from Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, we should analyze the passage.
In this excerpt, Lincoln reflects on events from four years prior, during his previous inauguration. He mentions that at that time, everyone was concerned about an impending civil war and both sides wished to avoid it. However, while Lincoln was giving his speech, agents from the Confederate states were in the city seeking to destroy the Union without war. Lincoln points out that both sides wanted to avoid war, but the Confederacy would rather make war than let the nation survive, while the Union would accept war rather than let it perish. Ultimately, the war did come.
Considering this information, the main idea of this excerpt is that both the Union and the Confederacy did not initially desire war, but their different approaches to preserving or dissolving the Union eventually led to the Civil War.
Based on this analysis, the correct answer would be:
B. Both the Union and the Confederacy were responsible for the Civil War.