1.History contains many people with different circumstances and perspectives. To understand actions in the
past, a historian must understand their perspective and concerns and how they interacted.
Imagine you are the following person from the decades before the US Civil War:
An abolitionist (black, male)
Tell your (imaginary) life story? How do you make your living? How do you feel about the major issues of
the day? What are your primary concerns (economic, social, or political)? Why?
- Corresponding to the first question (1). Answer the following question
Read Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address delivered shortly before his death in early 1865. What
do you identify as the major themes of this speech? What message is Lincoln attempting to convey? Put
yourself in the position of the character you created for question 1. How would your character have felt
about this speech?