LAD #20: The Emancipation Proclamation

Lincoln declares that all slaves are free and the United States Government will help to ensure their freedom. He says that anyone considered or held in the place of a slave in America are now emancipated, meaning free. All rights will be extended to them such as receive fair wages and a free life. A very official order by the President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, on a very serious topic that would forever change America and really make her the land of the free.

LAD #19: Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

There is a tone of sadness in his speech, even though he was just re-elected President and the Civil War would soon come to an end as well as slavery. Lincoln described how both sides were wrong and did not realize what they were getting into in this war. He also makes many references to God throughout his speech."With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations. " By this, Lincoln references to the times ahead such as Reconstruction where he tries to help the South and make the country better for the future.

LAD #18: Dred Scott Decision

The decision of the Supreme Court was that slaves are property and the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court refused to act of the case because property could not sue, and since Dred Scott was a slave, a slaves were property, he had no right to sue. This made his argument to be a free slave invalid and he was sent back to the state where he was a slave and under the mastership of his old master.

LAD #17: Sojourner Truth "Ain't I a Woman?"

Even though there is a stereotype to help women such as "ladies first" or other common sayings, Sojourner Truth does not enjoy this courtesy. She is a woman though, should that not count for something? This is her main point, that race should not distinguish people apart from one another and that all are equal in terms of race and gender. She also mentions Jesus and God to give her side a more convincing effect.

LAD #16: Frederick Douglass "5th of July"

Douglass questions what independence is, because of those who are slaves. He goes on to say that he should not be included en the festivities of "Independence Day" because he is a black man who does not receive the freedoms granted to many Americans. While some rejoice, he mourns. At that time the "black man" did not receive fair treatment as whites, but America should move past this because they are all Americans and all human and no one person should discriminate or berate another.

LAD #15: Gettysburg Address

This is a reflection of a Civil War Battle, the Battle of Gettysburg where many American lives were lost. It was a very smart speech consisting of a few sentences but had a profound affect on the people of America. Lincoln says, he calls the Civil War "a new birth of freedom" and also talks about human equality. He starts out talking about the American Revolution ("fourscore and seven years ago"). Even though the address was about the bloody battle, it had a bigger meaning; one about the entirety of the United States, including democracy: "government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."

LAD #14: Lincoln's First Inaugural

This election is known as the spark of the civil war, but Lincoln starts his inaugural by addressing the predicament of slavery and therefore it was directed towards the South. In the speech he vowed to maintain the Union and keep all the states, even if it meant war. Also he declared that the Union was indissolvable and needed to be kept unified. Furthermore, he said that we would not be the first to attack, and soon after this speech, the Confederate army attacked Fort Sumter, which was included in speech that the Union would hold onto its property, rights, and places that belonged to the government. In the speech he addressed slavery, the south, not using force against the south,  secession, protection of slavery (Corwin amendment), more about slavery (in territories), the postal service (how it would still be in use in the south), and federal positions in the South. He ends with, "We are not enemies, but friends." And that the North and South must get along in order to create a strong unified nation.

LAD #13: Calhoun's Speech

This is the most famous speech by John C. Calhoun, who died shortly after having it read. He brings up right away, "How can the Union be preserved?" He saw that the slavery issue was escalating and something needed to be changed. However, he completely rejected the Compromise of 1850. He brought up that the Constitution said that the South had the right to own slaves. And then offered a solution to the question he posed about saving the Union, only the North could save it by recreating the balance once held by the North and South. He used ethos and logos to help prove his point as correct. Even though he made this great speech on not passing the Compromise, it was still passed.

LAD #12: Polk's War Message

Talking about the relations between the US and Mexico, President Polk says:
The border dispute with Mexico and the US has become increasingly tense and corrective actions need to be made. Polk talks about Mr. Slidell and the struggle in Mexico. When the US said that they were going to annex Texas, Mexico was unhappy, and Polk, when trying to reach the Presidency, promised that he would garner Texas. This led to the Mexican-American War. This war problem with Mexico is solely due to the acts of Mexico and the US is trying to fix it.

LAD #11: Seneca Falls Convention

A crucial start for the women's rights movements started in the anti-slavery movements, as women were excluded. In the Declaration of the Sentiments, the first part of the Declaration of Independence is quoted and the women proceed to say how they have been wronged by this sentence and phrase at a time. In each of these sentences it begins with he and has her in it. The second part is titled Resolutions, and each sentence begins with Resolved, that... This is the place where it says that women are equal to men and women are entitled to the same rights as men.