Free digital classic
Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
by Lincoln, Abraham
About this book
Creators: Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) "Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address" by Abraham Lincoln is a speech delivered on March 4, 1865, as the Civil War neared its end. Rather than celebrating impending victory, Lincoln spoke with somber reflection on the war's meaning and divine purpose. He identified slavery as the war's cause and suggested the conflict might be God's punishment for the nation's sins. The address contemplates unknowable divine will and calls for reconciliation, urging Americans to "bind up the nation's wounds" without harsh treatment of the defeated South. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading Level: Reading ease score: 62.7 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. Rights: Public domain in the USA. Downloads: 1116