May
1
Lincoln and Washington: Statesmen of Racial Reconciliation
Lecture 2: Abraham Lincoln and the “Malignant Heart”
In his Second Inaugural, Lincoln called for Americans to act “with malice toward none.” “Malice” and related words like “malicious” and “malignant” were often used by Lincoln in reference to racial prejudice. This lecture will examine how Lincoln, through his rhetoric as president, sought to secure the future of the freed people, while navigating the obstacle of malicious objections and malignant hearts.