We all love a nice walk down memory lane, but Lincoln's focus on the past is less nostalgic than practical. Much of the "House Divided" speech recounts the past few years to show how the U.S. has arrived at the precarious situation it was in by June 1858. Lincoln's argument relies on convincing people of danger based on the progression of events as evidence.
So it's less of a walk down memory lane than using the past to prove his point. Less emotionally enjoyable, but even more highly effective.
Questions About Memory and the Past
- What past events in particular does Lincoln focus on in the speech, and why?
- Given Lincoln's audience, why do you think he used this tactic to convince them of his argument?
- How accurate was Lincoln's assessment of the progression of events? Was the North really in danger?
- How does Lincoln use the recent past to illustrate both why the North is in trouble and why there was hope?
Chew on This
Lincoln probably recounts very recent events because people have a tendency to tune out when too many bad things are happening, and he wants to make sure they're thinking about it.
Given that the slavery debate had changed in recent years, there wasn't much precedent to guide people in figuring out the future, so they kept worrying about the past.