Lincoln's Inaugural Address | READING CHECK

Southern states believed their support of slavery justified secession after Abraham Lincoln's election. Which of the following BEST explains how Lincoln's perspective was different?

• Lincoln thought the Union would be forced to attack the South after the states seceded, saying the Southern forces would be unable to defeat the Union army.

• Lincoln thought the Southern state relied on the Northern states for important goods, saying it would be a mistake for them to end a relationship that helped them survive.

• Lincoln thought the Union of the states was made permanent by the Constitution and other founding documents, saying he had no intention to interfere with slavery in the South.

• Lincoln thought the Southern states should have waited before they seceded, saying they should give him a chance to prove that slavery would be allowed in new territories.

What does Lincoln want unhappy Southerners to understand about how he will act as president?

• He will change the Constitution so they can secede legally and hopes they will not start a war before that.

• He will refuse to return fugitive slaves form the North and will make laws to end the slave trade in all states.

• He will not allow them to continue slavery and believes they no longer love the Union they helps create.

• He will not begin a war with them and will try to keep the North and South as friends rather than enemies.

"My dissatisfied fellow countrymen, the decision to plunge our country into civil war, or to avoid disaster, rests in your hands, and not in mine." How does using the word "plunge" affect the tone of the sentence above?

• It conveys Lincoln's view of war as a reckless move by the South.

• It conveys Lincoln's feeling of helplessness regarding the South.

• It conveys the frustration and sadness of the Southern states.

What do Lincoln and the Southern states AGREE on in his speech?

• whether the Southern states can legally secede from the Union

• whether the president has a right to interfere with the rights of states.

• whether new territories in the West should be able to allow slavery.

• whether Southern states were denied constitutional rights.

Did some states secede before Abraham Lincoln was sworn in as president?

• Yes, 11 states seceded the year before Lincoln took the oath of office.

• Yes, South Carolina & Georgia seceded days before Lincoln's inauguration.

• No, states didn't secede until after Lincoln took the oath of office on March 4, 1861.

• No, there were 0 states that legally seceded from the United States.

Where did Lincoln's inauguration take place?

• on the steps of the US capitol in Washington D.C.

• on the south lawn at the White House located in Washington D.C.

• at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

• on the steps of the New York Stock Exchange in New York City.

According to Lincoln and the speeches that he references, does he want to get rid of slavery in the United States?

• Yes, he talks about how he thinks it is a true evil and that the United States needs to abolish slavery.

• No, he states that he has no intention to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists.

• He does not discuss the issue of slavery in his inaugural address. He merely talks about secession and the actions he will take to try and bring the Union back together.

Instead of secession, what does Lincoln suggest citizens should do, especially if they are frustrated with the existing government?

• They should amend the constitution or they should overthrow the existing government.

• They should emigrate to a different country that has more freedoms or fits their views.

• They should pass more laws and put more restrictions on government officials.

• They should vote and elect different Congressmen.

What best describes the point of Abraham Lincoln's Inaugural Address?

• He focuses on Unity and bringing the Southern States back into the Union. He discusses in his speech how he does not want to abolish slavery or the fugitive slave act.

• He addresses the issue of slavery by talking about how he would like to keep slavery where it already exists. He goes on to discuss how he would like to abolish the Fugitive Slave Act and how he would like to bring the South back into the Union.

• Most of his speech is focused on the inevitability of war. He warns the South what will happen if they attack the North and that he would show no mercy on the South if they choose to declare war on the North

• He focuses on the Civil War that has taken place. He is trying to promote northerners to join the Union Army so that they can force the Confederate states back into the Union.

What was the MAIN point of Lincoln's first inaugural address?

• Abolish slavery throughout the US

• Preserve the union and stay together as the US

• Strike back at confederate rebel states

• Appoint a new general of the Union Army