Students explore how the Election of 1864 and the soldier vote shaped support for Lincoln’s leadership, then examine how his Second Inaugural Address described the Civil War’s cost and called for unity and reconciliation.
Students explore how the Election of 1864 and the soldier vote shaped support for Lincoln’s leadership, then examine how his Second Inaugural Address described the Civil War’s cost and called for unity and reconciliation.
Students are introduced to the focus of the experience—Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address as a reflection on leadership, unity, and reconciliation at the end of the Civil War—and review key vocabulary. They consider how leaders can help bring people together during or after conflict, then post ideas on one discussion wall about how leaders can unite people and on a second wall about what kinds of words or actions encourage peace instead of further division. Students then read a brief overview of the experience and the lesson objectives.
Teacher MovesPresent the overview of the experience and clarify the objectives and vocabulary. Facilitate discussion of the first wall by pushing students beyond listing traits to explaining how leaders’ words and actions can shape feelings, trust, and public attitudes during conflict. In reviewing the second wall, highlight responses that emphasize compromise, empathy, and restraint, and prompt students to consider why choosing peace can be difficult during or after conflict. Use student ideas to surface themes of responsibility, tone, and the power of leadership, and connect these themes to the upcoming study of Lincoln’s wartime leadership and Second Inaugural Address.
Students examine the political context of the 1864 presidential election while the Civil War was ongoing. They view The Election of 1864 and read The Soldier Vote in the Election of 1864 to learn how divided public opinion, battlefield events, and the soldier vote shaped Lincoln’s re-election chances and the broader war effort. Students then answer multiple-choice questions about doubts regarding Lincoln’s re-election, the impact of late-1864 Union victories, the effect of Lincoln’s victory on Confederate morale, and how absentee voting allowed soldiers to participate from camps.
Teacher MovesFrame the scene by explaining the significance of holding a presidential election during an active civil war and, as needed, prepare students for potentially difficult images or descriptions of war in the video. After students complete the questions, lead a discussion about political divisions among Peace Democrats, War Democrats, and Republicans, and how competing plans for ending the war created uncertainty about the election’s outcome. Prompt students to connect political debates to soldiers’ experiences by asking why some soldiers might favor a quick peace while others supported continuing the fight, and how battlefield developments influenced their votes. Emphasize how absentee voting and furloughs enabled soldiers to participate and how Lincoln’s re-election strengthened Northern commitment to the war while weakening Confederate hopes for a negotiated peace.
Students shift to a close reading of Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address. They read Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, focusing on Lincoln’s language choices, then contribute to two word clouds: one highlighting words he uses to describe the war and its cost, and another highlighting words he uses to explain how Americans should respond to the conflict and its effects. Next, students use a drawing tool with text to explain how different groups (such as Union soldiers, Confederate soldiers, and civilians) might have responded to Lincoln’s address, citing specific words or phrases that would have affected each group and explaining why. Finally, they respond on a discussion wall by selecting a line from the address they believe would be most significant for creating unity and peace as the war ended and explaining their reasoning.
Teacher MovesSupport students in working with a complex primary source, potentially using multiple readings to build understanding before focusing on language and tone. When reviewing the first word cloud, guide students to identify patterns in the words they chose and discuss what those words reveal about how Lincoln viewed the war’s suffering, loss, and moral seriousness. With the second word cloud, draw attention to language about action, responsibility, healing, and restraint, helping students see how Lincoln points toward a way forward after the conflict. As you review the drawing activity, prompt students to compare how different groups might interpret the same phrases based on their loyalties, losses, and experiences of war, and discuss why Lincoln needed to be especially intentional with his language while the war was still ongoing. In the final discussion, synthesize students’ chosen lines by identifying recurring themes and asking how hearing these ideas from the president might shape Americans’ thinking about what should happen next, while also acknowledging the challenges that could still make unity difficult.
Students explore how Americans at the time interpreted Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address differently. They read Excerpt from Washington in Lincoln’s Time by Noah Brooks and Report on the Inaugural Address in the Valley Spirit, March 8, 1865, then complete a graphic organizer comparing the two accounts. For each source, they identify standout words and phrases, explain what those choices reveal about reactions to Lincoln’s address, and describe the overall attitude or feeling conveyed. Students then respond to a discussion prompt on a wall about how these differing views might have affected the country’s readiness and willingness to reunite and move forward after the war.
Teacher MovesExplain that this scene extends learning by applying earlier ideas about language and perspective to contemporary reactions to Lincoln’s speech. As students share their organizer responses, lead a discussion about how tone and word choice in each source reflect different perspectives, noting how Brooks’s account conveys admiration and hope while the Valley Spirit article expresses distrust and hostility. Encourage students to see both as historically valuable perspectives rather than judging one as more “correct.” Then, use the discussion wall responses to explore what these contrasting reactions suggest about the nation’s ongoing divisions and the complexity of reunification. Highlight how deep disagreements about the war’s meaning, cost, and outcome could complicate efforts to move forward, reinforcing that Lincoln’s call for unity entered a context of grief, blame, and uncertainty about peace.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
©2026 Exploros. All rights reserved.