Use the excerpt from Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address to answer the question.
Using the excerpt, answer (a), (b), and (c).
(a) What is the historical context of the speech? Your response should be 1-2 sentences in length.
(b) What events does it reflect? Your response should be 1-2 sentences in length.
(c) What intentions for Reconstruction does it reveal? Your response should be 2-3 sentences in length.
(a) The historical context of the speech is the American Civil War, which had been raging for four years at the time of the address.
(b) The speech reflects the events of the Civil War, including the death and destruction it caused, as well as the emancipation of slaves.
(c) The speech reveals Lincoln's intentions for Reconstruction to be one of reconciliation and forgiveness, rather than retribution. He emphasizes the need for both sides to come together and move forward, and for the nation to heal from the wounds of the war. He also expresses his hope that the emancipation of slaves will be a lasting result of the war.
Excerpt from Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address:
"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 orphan - to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations."
(a) The historical context of the speech is the final months of the American Civil War, as Lincoln was delivering his second inaugural address on March 4, 1865.
(b) The speech reflects the ongoing events of the devastating and divisive Civil War and the imminent end of the war.
(c) The speech reveals Lincoln's intentions for Reconstruction, as he emphasizes the importance of unity, forgiveness, and care for those affected by the war. He seeks to bind up the wounds of the nation, achieve a just peace, and prioritize the well-being of the soldiers and their families.