[Speech] A HOUSE DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF CANNOT STAND. - Abraham Lincoln's Premonition of Civil Conflict

Warning against the dangers of a divided nation

Abraham Lincoln’s declaration "A house divided against itself cannot stand" was part of a speech that addressed the pressing issue of slavery dividing the United States. Drawing from the biblical phrase, Lincoln used it to articulate the inevitable conflict leading to the American Civil War. His speech highlighted the impossibility of the country continuing half slave and half free, forecasting that it would become all one thing or all the other. The speech was prophetic, intensifying his reputation as a leader of profound moral and philosophical depth, and set the stage for his eventual presidency.

Background

1. Abraham Lincoln

2. 16th President of the United States

3. Speech upon accepting the Illinois Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, 1858