Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

Content Warning: The source material and this guide reference the enslavement of Black Americans and the associated racism and prejudice.

In his speech, Lincoln frames the Civil War as not merely a human conflict but as Divine Retribution for the sin of slavery. He implies that both North and South are undergoing a shared ordeal that, though painful, is integral for the nation to emerge morally and spiritually rejuvenated. By saying the war was “give[n] to both North and South” (Paragraph 3), he hints that everyone involved is part of a larger, divine mission to right the wrongs of slavery. This shared suffering is viewed as a pivotal moment for change, with the war functioning as a necessary intervention to address the nation’s past errors. It aims to steer America toward a future marked by greater unity and a deeper understanding of justice. In this way, Lincoln’s address not only contextualizes the Civil War as a moment of divine judgment but also as a crucial step toward America’s moral redemption and the strengthening of its national character. Lincoln unites the two sides of the war with an undeniable connection to religion—God allowing the tragedy of the war insinuates its necessity in response to slavery.