Lincoln’s Inaugural Address: Key Questions and Answers

Key Questions and Answers on Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address

According to Lincoln, what issue occupied people’s thoughts and attention at the time of his first inaugural address?

A Possible Civil War

What is the peculiar and powerful interest that Lincoln says was somehow the cause of the war?

Slaves and the people who owned them

According to Lincoln, what still absorbs the attention and engrosses the energies of the nation?

The Present Civil War

What does Lincoln say or imply that he wants? (Choose 2)

An end to slavery everywhere in the country

A fair peace among states that will be lasting

What evidence suggests that the Civil War was not originally fought to free slaves?

Lincoln says the government only wished to keep slavery from spreading.

Which is the best example of people who are insurgents?

A crowd of protestors rising against a government

Which situation most clearly shows a person who is rending something?

The child is neatly removing wrapping paper before deciding to open the gift.

If a person describes cancer as a scourge, to which aspect of the disease is the person referring?

Cancer causes widespread pain and suffering.

What is Lincoln’s attitude toward those who fought for the Confederacy?

He does not wish them any harm for their choices.

Which excerpt best supports the answer to part a?

“With malice toward none…”

How does Lincoln explain why the country went to war?

He says that war was inevitable because the positions were opposed.

Which excerpt best supports the answer to part A?

“Both parties deprecated war, but one of them…”

What does the following quotation suggest about Lincoln’s view of the Civil War?

“While malice toward none…”

He hopes for eventual peace and healing.

Which of the following quotations supports a chronological structure as it looks to the past?

“On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago…”

Which of the choices summarizes the general order Lincoln made a point in his address?

He recalls the past, discusses the present, and looks to the future.

Which of the following describes how Lincoln’s reference to God relates to the structure of the address?

His reference to God ties the present to the future and the past, indicating that if God wills it, the present war may last long enough to exact complete justice for past offenses.

Read the sentence:

The growth of the city’s waterfront….

Improvement

In the sentence below, the underlined words have the same literal meaning but different nuances. Which has the strongest negative nuance?

The looming deadline made Ashley nervous.

Select the answer choice that correctly identifies the prepositional phrase in the sentence that also functions as an adverbial phrase.

The newly elected ……….

Before he took the oath of office

Select the answer choice that correctly identifies the prepositional phrase in the sentence that also functions as an adverbial phrase.

Neither party expected war of this magnitude…..

For the war

Select the answer choice that correctly identifies the adjectival phrase in the sentence that also functions as an adjective phrase.

On March 4, 1865…

Of perhaps as many as 40,000 people

Select the answer choice that correctly identifies the prepositional phrase that also functions as an adjective phrase.

One eighth of the whole population …..

Insurgent: in revolt against a government in power

Perish: die Rend: tear apart with violent force

Malice: harm Scourge: cause of serious harm or trouble Unrequited: not repaid or avenged