Lincoln's Second Inaugural Speech

What issue occupied people’s thoughts and attention at the time of his first Inaugural Address?

• a possible civil war

• Lincoln’s recent election

• God’s will regarding slavery

• the outcome of the Civil War

In “Second Inaugural Address,” what is the “peculiar and powerful interest” that Lincoln says was “somehow the cause of the war”?

• southerners who wanted to dissolve the union

• slaves and the people who owned them

• the desire to keep the Union together

• resentment over Lincoln’s election

According to Lincoln in his “Second Inaugural Address,” what “still absorbs the attention and engrosses the energies of the nation”?

• the present Civil War

• the presidential election

• ongoing debate over slavery

• attempts to dissolve the Union

In “Second Inaugural Address,” what does Lincoln say or imply that he wants? Choose two options.

• for states to make their own decisions about slavery

• to penalize the southern states for leaving the union

• an end to slavery everywhere in the country

• to grant full voting rights to all former slaves

• a fair peace among states that will be lasting

In “Second Inaugural Address,” what evidence suggests that the Civil War was not originally fought to free the slaves?

• Lincoln says that only one-eighth of the whole population were slaves.

• Lincoln says that some people would rather wage war than end slavery

• Lincoln says rebellious people wanted to dissolve the Union without war

• Lincoln says the government only wished to keep slavery from spreading

Which of the following is the best example of people who are insurgents?

• a business association that holds annual meetings

• a diplomatic group traveling to negotiate a treaty

• a crowd of protesters rising against a government

• a fleet of troops carrying goods to a new nation

Which situation most clearly shows a person who is rending something?

• The artist is studying a scene from two angles before painting it.

• The mechanic is disassembling an engine before repairing it.

• The child is neatly removing wrapping paper before deciding to open the gift.

• The seamstress is tearing the cloth into pieces before designing a new outfit.

If a person describes cancer as a scourge, to which aspect of the disease is the person referring? Base your answer on the meaning of scourge.

• Cancer seems to be impossible to stop.

• Cancer affects some people but not others.

• Cancer causes widespread pain and suffering.

• Cancer can pass from one generation to another.

In “Second Inaugural Address,” what is Lincoln’s attitude toward those who fought for the Confederacy?

• He condemns them for holding slaves.

• He wants to thank them for starting the war.

• He does not wish them any harm for their choices.

• He believes that they should pay for all the war costs.

In “Second Inaugural Address,” how does Lincoln explain why the country went to war?

• He says that too many rebellious people tried to stir up trouble and dissolve the union.

• He says that war was inevitable because the positions were so opposed that compromise was impossible.

• He says that slavery was so evil that slaveholders needed to be punished by war against them.

• He says that both sides expected a quick and easy victory in the war with no losses on their side.