Why This Site?
"Lincoln's Rhetoric" is intended for middle or high school students to examine language devices in Lincoln's speeches that make them particularly effective. This site will be especially useful if students already know the basic Civil War historical context surrounding these speeches. Ideally, students will explore these pages on their own and also discuss them as a class - with their history or English teachers, or both - at key points.
Going Beyond This Site
After looking at individual documents, students can use this list of Lincoln's literary and rhetorical devices from the Gilder Lehrman Institute as a lens for analyzing any of Lincoln's speeches and writings. Imitating Lincoln's devices in a persuasive speech of one's own would be a fun place to start!
Students could also examine how Lincoln's views and rhetoric evolved in the documents covered on this site, from the 1860 Cooper Union address to the 1863 Gettysburg Address to the 1865 Second Inaugural. Other excellent documents to include in such an analysis would be the 1858 "House Divided" speech, the 1861 First Inaugural, and the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.
Students could also examine how Lincoln's views and rhetoric evolved in the documents covered on this site, from the 1860 Cooper Union address to the 1863 Gettysburg Address to the 1865 Second Inaugural. Other excellent documents to include in such an analysis would be the 1858 "House Divided" speech, the 1861 First Inaugural, and the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.
About the Author
Sarah Cooper is an 8th grade U.S. history teacher at an independent school just outside of Los Angeles. She created this site as the final project for the Summer 2016 "Understanding Lincoln" class through the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, taught by Matthew Pinsker, professor at Dickinson College and a creator of the House Divided site.