Today, we conclude our Top 10 Most Teachable Documents of the Civil War countdown with Number 1, Lincolns First Inaugural Address: civilwar.org/education/history/primarysources/lincolninaugural1.html This was Abraham Lincoln’s speech delivered in March 1861 when he was sworn in as President. It was written as a response to the unfolding secession crisis brought about by his election in 1860. In this speech he affirms his position that he will not interfere with slavery where it exists but remains opposed to further extension of slavery. He also clarifies that from his perspective he is constitutionally duty bound to prevent a breakup of the Union and that the fate of impeding Civil War rests in the hands of those states that have already seceded, while at the same time seeking find a way to peacefully resolve the differences between the North and the South. Instructional/Teaching Application - Teachers and students can use this document to explore Lincoln’s position on his Constitutional duties. Consider using it in tandem with some of Lincoln’s earlier writings regarding slavery and the Union. His position can be found throughout his debates with Stephen Douglas in the 1858 Senate seat debates, better known as the Lincoln/Douglas Debates, and in a variety of documents he wrote in the early 1850s.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 12:46:05 +0000
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