ABSTRACT
Through the strong use of logos and pathos, Lincoln wanted to assert his belief that the government cannot continue to exist or function if it stays divided on the issue of slavery. Lincoln's “House Divided” Speech is broken up into three parts: the growing problem of a nation torn apart by slavery, the involvement of northern Democrats in a conspiracy to nationalize slavery, and the opposition of Douglas as leader of the antislavery forces. Despite it being delivered 155 years ago the speech is still powerful and applicable to our lives today.
On June 16th, 1859 at 8:00pm Abraham Lincoln delivered his "A House Divided" speech to the republican delicates at the hall of representatives in Springfield Illinois for the Republican State Convention. Lincoln was chosen as the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, running against Democrat Stephen A. Douglas. Through the strong use of logos and pathos, Lincoln wanted to assert his belief that the government cannot continue to exist or function if it stays divided on the issue of slavery. While history looks back on this speech and sees it as one of Lincoln's defining speeches, his fellow republicans did not agree. While this speech was given 155 years ago it still had many successful points and could still be applied to our lives today.
To get a better understanding of the speech it's important to know what exactly Lincoln was talking about when he mentioned the "Dred Scott decision." Two days after President Buchanan was inaugurated in 1857 the Supreme Court made a major decision. With the help of many important abolishionists, Dred Scott, a slave, presented a lawsuit for his freedom on the grounds that after living in a free state for a set amount of years he couldn't legally be forced back into slavery Unfortunately in a 5-4 decision, Chief Justice Roger B. Taney explained that because Dred Scott was a slave he had no rights and no liberty to...