Episode 2 of 3
Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
- When
- March 4, 1865
- Where
- United States Capitol
Lincoln delivered a brief address reflecting on the war and the Union, noting less need for an extended speech than before.
Lincoln stated that less occasion existed for an extended address than at his first inauguration. He mentioned that while the address was devoted to saving the Union, insurgent agents had previously sought to dissolve it. Historians have analyzed themes of collective guilt and prudence in this speech.
Sources
- Second inauguration of Abraham Lincoln Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-01
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.