From: Anonymous Two
Date: 4/25/00
Time: 1:40:19 PM
Remote Name: 155.247.175.150
What was the staatus of the Union when Lincoln gave his First In- augural Address? The Union was didvided, north against south. The majority of the northern Americans wanted to abolish and not extend slavery. Many Americans who resided in the northern states believed slavery was morally wrong. Americans who lived in the southern states were deter- mined to utilize slaves for commercial agricultural purposes. Repub- licans representing the north, became stronger politically and built "the first successful sectional paarty..." by appealing to more con- stituents using a platform of free soil instead of abolitionism. How- ever, the Democrats representing the south were not so successful in their efforts against the Republicans. Regional divisions were evidenced in the basic beliefs and values between north and south Americans. Social and economic develop- mental differences transformed each region "into two conflicting cult- ures."
What did Lincoln prepose to do about the status of the Union? Lincoln wanted the Union to come together even though he knew it was highly unlikely without aggressive enforcement. In Lincoln's first inaugural speech, he expresses concern for the state of the Union being bitterly divided regionally, emotionally and cullturally. Additionally, he expresses deep concern for the possibility of the divided Union resolving their issues by war. Lincoln proposed to execute the laws of the Constitution by making sure the the federal government complied with the respionsibilities of providing service(s) to all people of the Union in hope that its original purpose and mag- etism would peacefully bring the country back together. He hoped to restore a "sense of perfect security" in attempt to "calm thought and reflection" within the Union and avoid physical conflict between the north and the south.