Comments and discussion

In your analysis of Abraham Lincoln’s speech, you should consider including comments on the most notable statements the speaker makes, either because they are interesting or controversial.

For example, the best-known part from the speech is the one when the speaker foreshadows the American Civil War by claiming that there can be no union unless all states either abolish or accept slavery: “ ‘A house divided against itself cannot stand.’ I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free.” (ll. 11-13).

Indeed, only three years after the speech, the American Civil War broke out after Lincoln’s election as US President. In other words, Lincoln’s claim warned his audience that pro-slavery supporters would not accept being confined to only the Southern states.

Some of the most interesting statements from the speech ar...