Janice Chan

Mr. Hallam
APUS History – Period 1
3 December 2010
AP Lincoln Documents
A. Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address; March 4, 1861
1. “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the
institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have
no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.”
• I don’t have any desire to get caught within the issues of
slavery in the states where it is present. I believe I have no
permission to do so, and I don’t particularly want to either.
2. “ Plainly the central idea of secession is the essence of anarchy.
A majority held in restraint by constitutional checks and
limitations, and always changing easily with deliberate changes
of popular opinions and sentiments, is the only true sovereign of
a free people.”
• Clearly, the main idea of seceding lies in rebellion. A mass
held back by legal checks and boundaries, and always
adapting to the flow of widely held opinions and thoughts,
is the only true ruler of a free people.
3. “Physically speaking, we can not separate. We can not remove
our respective sections from each other nor build an impassable
wall between them. A husband and wife may be divorced and go
out of the presence and beyond the reach of each other, but the
different parts of our country can not do this.”
• We can’t literally separate. We can’t get rid of the borders
that combine our states, nor can we build an impenetrable
wall between them. In marriage, divorce can occur, and the
couple can be separated from each other and out of each
other’s company, but the different parts of our country can
not do this.
4. “In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow-countrymen, and not in
mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The Government will
not assail you. You can have no conflict without being yourselves
the aggressors.”
• In your hands, my unhappy fellow Americans, and not in
mine, is the vital issue of civil war. The Government won’t
attack you. You can’t have your war without being yourself
the provokers.
5. “We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it
must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of
memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to
every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will
yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely
they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”
 • We can’t be foes. Though strong feelings may have
strained our togetherness, we must not let it break us. The
memories of the battlefields and patriot graves, and every
living heart all over America, will nonetheless feel pride at
the chorus of the union, when again we show them our
virtuous spirit.
B. Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address; March 4, 1865
1. “Both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war
rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept
war rather than let it perish, and the war came. One-eighth of
the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed
generally over the Union, but localized in the southern part of it.
These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All
knew that this interest was somehow the cause of the war.”
• Both groups disapproved of the war, but one side was
willing to make war in order to live, and the other was
willing to accept the war rather than let it die out, and the
war came. An eighth of the whole people were colored
slaves, not spread generally throughout the whole Union,
but contained mostly in the southern part of it. These
slaves made up a curious and commanding significance. All
knew that this importance was somehow the cause of the
war.
2. “Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each
invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any
men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their
bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not,
that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be
answered.”
• Both parties read the same Bible and prayed to the same
god, and both also asked for His help against the other. It
may seem odd that any man would dare to ask a fair God’s
help in gaining the upper hand from others’ hard work, but
we shouldn’t criticize, that we weren’t judged. The prayers
of both could not be answered.
3. “Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty
scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it
continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two
hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until
every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another
drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so
still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord are true and
righteous altogether."
• We hope and pray that this war may end. But, if God wills
that it go on until the wealth of America, all two hundred
and fifty years worth of unreciprocated work will be gone,
 and until the blood drawn with a cut shall be rewarded by
another cut with the sword, as was said three thousand
years ago, so it still must be stated, “the judgments of the
Lord are true and righteous altogether.”
4. “ With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in
the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish
the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for
him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his
orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and
lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”
• With no hostility, and help for all, with determination as
God gives us to see the right, let us work to finish this
effort, to heal the nation’s wounds, to care for the one who
went through the battle, and for his widow and his orphan,
to do everything that will establish a freedom from strife
among ourselves and with all nations.
C. Gettysburg Address; November 19, 1863
10. “It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task
remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take
increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full
measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these
dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall
have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people,
by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.”
• This is here for us to be devoted to the huge task still
existing — that from these honored dead we dedicate
ourselves to the cause that they gave their last breath for
—that we here make sure that these dead shall not have
died in vain, that this nation under God will live in a new
country of freedom, and a government of the people, by
the people, because the people will not depart from the
earth.”
D. Homestead Act; May 20, 1862
11. “Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled, That any
person who is the head of a family, or who has arrived at the age
of twenty-one years, and is a citizen of the United States, or who
shall have filed his declaration of intention to become such, as
required by the naturalization laws of the United States, and who
has never borne arms against the United States Government or
given aid and comfort to its enemies, shall, from and after the
first January, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, be entitled to
enter one quarter section or a less quantity of unappropriated
public lands, upon which said person may have filed a
preemption claim, or which may at the time the application is
made, be subject to preemption at one dollar and twenty-five
 cents, or less, per acre; or eighty acres or less of such
unappropriated lands.”
• Let it be passed by the Senate and House of
Representatives of America in Congress assembled, That
any person who is twenty one or the oead of a family, and
is a citizen of the US, or has filed his desire to become one,
as required by the naturalization laws of the US, and who
has never fought against the US government or given help
to its enemies, shall, from and after January 1st, 1863, be
free to enter ¼ section or less of a quantity of unowned
public lands, on which said person may file a legal claim, or
which may at the time the claim is made, be subject to the
right of purchasing it before others at $1.25 or less, per
square acre; or eighty acres or less of unowned land.
E. Pacific Railway Act; July 1, 1862
12. “An Act to aid in the Construction of a Railroad and
Telegraph Line from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean.”
• An act to assist in the building of a railroad and telegraph
line from MO river to the Pacific ocean.
13. “Congress may reduce the rates of fare thereon, if
unreasonable in amount, and may fix and establish the same by
law.”
• The council may reduce the rates of fee on that, if
excessive in amount, and may arrange the same by rule.
F. Morrill Act; July 2, 1862
14. “AN ACT Donating Public Lands to the several States and
Territories which may provide Colleges for the Benefit of
Agriculture and Mechanic Arts.”
• An Act that donates Public lands to the several states and
territories which may provide institutions for the good of
farming and applied arts.
G. The Pacific Railway Act was a indication of Lincoln’s loose
constructionist ideals, while his First Inaugural Address was a display of
Lincoln’s strict constructionist standards.