Abraham Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address onMarch 4, 1865, during his second inauguration as president of the UnitedStates. At a time when victory over the secessionists in the American Civil War was within days and slavery was near an end, Lincoln spoke of sadness. A mere703 words, Lincoln’s speech did not offer the North a victory speech, nor did he excoriate the South for the sin of slavery. Instead, he called on the entire country’s guilt for the bloody war and argued for reconciliation and unity. Considered one of his greatest speeches, the address is inscribed, along with theGettysburg Address, in the Lincoln Memorial.

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