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

Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address takes place as the Civil War comes to an end. The Second Inaugural Address opens by referring to the inaugural address from Lincoln’s first presidential term, just before the war began, and also assumes the listener understands the history and severity of the war that is finally reaching a conclusion. This historical context is necessary to fully understand Lincoln’s position and viewpoints during his second address, as Lincoln doesn’t spend time dwelling on the details of the traumatic and mutual experience the Union and Confederate states had recently endured.

The first election of Lincoln sparked this initial conflict, leading to the secession of 11 Southern states in 1860. These states declared themselves a new nation: the Confederate States of America. This division set the stage for the Civil War, which began on April 12, 1861, and lasted until April 9, 1865. The Union, made up of the states that remained part of the United States, fought to preserve the nation and end slavery, while the

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