Lincolns house divided speech the scoop on history. In the illinois state house on june 17, 1858, former representative abraham lincoln accepted the republican nomination and opened his senatorial campaign with his. A house divided against itself cannot stand actually comes from the book of mark 3. Republican nomination to run against stephen douglas, a popular. In my opinion, it will not cease, until a crisis shall have been reached and passed. Buchanan was elected, and the indorsement, such as it was, secured. The following is the text of abraham lincolns house divided speech delivered june 16, 1858. An early speech which reveals lincolns attitude toward government. At the age of 49, abraham lincoln had just won the. Abraham lincolns the house divided speech 1858 the escalating crisis drew a country lawyer back into the political fray. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half. Abraham lincoln, speech fragment on slavery and the american government, ca.
Lincoln and freedom 20022020 the lehrman institute. Lincoln issued these statements in acceptance of his nomination to run as the republican candidate for a us senate seat in the 1858 election. Fragment of abraham lincolns house divided speech digital history id 380. Lincoln delivered this famous speech, noted for the phrase a house divided against itself cannot stand, when accepting the republican nomination for u. Rhetorical timing in lincolns house divided speech. In lincolns view, the threat, once understood, could be. Africans in americapart 4lincolns house divided speech. Lincolns house divided speech unknown binding 1977. Lincoln was the newly nominated republican candidate for senator. Acknowledging the nomination that evening, lincoln delivered what became known as the house divided speechthe name being taken from the opening of the speech. I do not expect the union to be dissolved i do not expect the house to fall but i do expect it will cease to be divided. House divided speech, 1858 the landmark speech which kicked off lincoln s campaign for the u. If we could first know where we are and whither we are tending, we could better judge what to do and how to do it. On june 16th, 1858, a tall, stately man approached the podium in what would become a defining moment in his political career.
House divided speech excerpts abraham lincoln june 1858 lincoln delivered this famous speech, noted for the phrase a house divided against itself cannot stand, when accepting the republican nomination for u. As an outspoken opponent of the expansion of slavery in the united states, lincoln won the republican party nomination in 1860 and was elected president later that year. If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it. He predicted that the country eventually would become all one thing, or all the other. Abraham lincoln s the house divided speech 1858 the escalating crisis drew a country lawyer back into the political fray. Lincoln sums up the doctrine of squatter or popular sovereignty. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.
Lincolns nowfamous house divided line, which is drawn from the bible, was actually part of a campaign speech he delivered at the 1858 illinois republican state convention. On june 16, 1858, at the illinois republican convention in springfield, abraham lincoln kicked off his bid for the u. Abraham lincoln was the sixteenth president of the united states, serving from march 4, 1861 until his assassination. The nomination of lincoln was the final item of business at the convention, which then broke for dinner, meeting again at. Eulogy on henry clay, 1852 lincoln praises his beau ideal of a statesman on his death. The house divided speech was an address given by abraham lincoln who would later become president of the united states on june 16, 1858, in springfield, illinois, upon accepting the illinois republican partys nomination as that states united states senator. Lincoln was outraged at the kansasnebraska act of 1854 and the dred scott decision. Lincoln gave the speech to his republican state convention delegates shortly after they endorsed him for the senate seat held by. Lincoln gave this speech in springfield, illinois, at the close of the republican state convention which named him as the republican candidate for u. He had always hated the idea of slavery even as a young boy. The speech became the launching point for his unsuccessful campaign for the senate seat against stephen a. The most important need abraham lincoln faced as the republican nominee for the u. House divided speech, 1858 the landmark speech which kicked off lincolns campaign for the u. Abraham lincolns house divided speechrhetorical analysis.
Again and again he insisted that the civil liberties of every u. A house divided 4 abraham lincoln speeches and writings leading advocate of the nebraska bi ll to state his opinion whether the people of a territory can constitutionally exclude slavery from their limits. Senate seat from illinois in 1858 was to distinguish himself sharply from the incumbent, stephen a. Lincoln speech on slavery and the american dream introduction. Lincoln spoke at the close of the republican state convention. Your certainly the terrific option for as quickly as, a house divided can no longer stand. We are now far into the fifth year, since a policy was initiated, with the avowed object, and confident promise, of putting an end to slavery. Douglas, to lessen the risk that republicans would support douglas as the best means to achieve their own goals. Abraham lincoln s 1858 house divided speech catapults him into the national consciousness with its bold moral assessment of the future of american slavery. Lincolns house divided speech june 16 marks the anniversary of one of the most important and memorable speeches in american history, one that seems especially poignant for our times, as it comes from a portion of our history in.
Lincolns house divided speech, delivered june 16, 1858. In july of that year he challenged his democrat opponent, stephen douglas to a series of debates over admitting kansas into the union as a. The purpose of the speech was to basically make the audience face the reality. Abraham lincolns house divided speech june 16, 1858 full text available. The danger of a divided house is a pretty perfect metaphor for lincoln in this case. House divided speech june 16, 1858 lincolns writings. House divided speech full text text of lincolns speech. Auston moore hist 1 signature assignment the house divided speech 1858, abraham lincoln the house divided speech was a speech given by abraham lincoln who also documented the speech at the republican state convention in springfield on june 16, 1858. Abraham lincoln was practicing rather than making law when the decade opened, but as acts he considered dangerous were passed, he was drawn out of the courtroom and onto convention floors and speakers platforms. Lincoln at the lincoln douglas debate in 1858, where he delivered his nowfamous house divided line. The house divided speech in the lincolndouglas debates.
Temperance address, 1842 lincoln angers his listeners by advocating persuasion and reason. The contents of this speech would resonate throughout the 1858 senate campaign. I do not expect the union to be dissolvedi do not expect the house to fallbut i do expect it will cease to be divided. Lincoln gave his house divided speech on june 16, 1858 after winning the republican nomination for the senate in springfield, illinois. A house divided speech by abraham lincoln in 1858 abraham lincoln was nominated as a candidate for the senate for the republican party in illinois. On the previous day the convention had taken the unprecedented move of naming lincoln their candidate for the senate normally senate candidates were chosen in january when the new legislature convened.
House divided speech excerpts abraham lincoln june 1858. House divided abraham lincoln speech the house divided was an address given by abraham lincoln on june 16, 1858, at what was then the illinois state capitol in springfield, upon accepting the illinois republican partys nomination as that states united states senator. The in the lincolndouglas debates of 1858 house divided against itself cannot stand, proclaimed abraham lincoln on june 16, 1858, at the republican convention in springfield, illinois. The new president, too, seizes the early occasion of the silliman letter to endorse and strongly construe that decision, and to express his. The house divided speech was an address given by abraham lincoln, later president of the united states, on june 16, 1858, at what was then the illinois state capitol in springfield, after he had accepted the illinois republican partys nomination as that states us senator. I believe this government cannot endure permanently halfslave and halffree. Early life he was born in kentucky in 1809 he was very uneducated through his teenage years because only went to school for 18 months. It took place as the end of the republicans state convention in the house of representatives in illinois. A house divided speech legal definition of a house. By 1850, the extension of slavery into the new territories won through the mexicanamerican war of 18461848 provided a testing ground for competing visions. Pdf in the house divided speech, lincoln warned that the country was tending.
The title reflects part of the speech s introduction, a house divided against itself cannot stand, a concept familiar to lincoln s audience as a statement by jesus recorded in all three synoptic gospels matthew, mark, luke. We are now far into the fifth year since a policy was initiated with the avowed object and confident promise of putting an end to slavery agitation. Why lincolns house divided speech was so important. A life 2 volumes, originally published by johns hopkins university press, 2008 unedited manuscript by chapters, lincoln studies center, volume 1, chapter 12 pdf, pp. The entirety of lincolns speech is based on a a specific quote from matthew 12. We are not far into the fifth year, since a policy was initiated, with the avowed object, and confident promise, of putting and end to. Bettmann archivesgetty images the speech certainly got republicans attention. Manuscript by chapters, lincoln studies center, volume 1, chapter 12 pdf. We are now far into the fifth year since a policy was initiated with the avowed. Nebraska act, adherents of the free soil party of the late 1840s and early 1850s, abolitionists. His phrase, a house divided against itself cannot stand describes the national problem of the growing conflict between the free states and the slave states. Even lincoln s friends regarded the speech as too radical for the occasion. The house divided speech can be understood as a response to this need.