Ethos In Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

Words: 425
Pages: 2

Well-known throughout the United States, the American Civil War was fought from 1861 to 1865 in order to determine the continuation of the union. Abraham Lincoln became president during this critical period; he was confronted with challenges that no other president had ever seen. Throughout these troubling times, Lincoln presented astonishing speeches that changed how people perceived things. Although Lincoln has delivered several speeches, his Second Inaugural Address displays the best qualities that a speech needs. Lincoln is able to establish ethos as well as pathos in his Second Inaugural Address by addressing both sides of the war. In his Second Inaugural Address, Lincoln does not identify the South as responsible for starting the war