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Abraham Lincoln (US Senate Candidate): "A house divided against itself cannot stand" (June 16, 1858) (Springfield, Illinois) 

Thanks for tuning into Henry Gindt’s American Legends series. On today’s episode: Abraham Lincoln. Feel free to save and download the episode so you can come back and listen to it again later. Also, feel free to share it with friends, family or colleagues if it inspires you as it did me. Let’s get started.

Some of Abraham Lincoln’s most famous words came in 1858, when he was running for the US Senate seat of Illinois against Stephen Douglas. Lincoln ultimately lost the US Senate race, but of course went on to become the 16th President of the United States two years later after winning the 1860 Presidential election against than Stephen Douglas in a rematch (as well as defeating 3 other candidates in the 4-way race). Talk about a comeback. The beautiful irony should not be lost as well that Barack Obama, an African American, late ran approximately 150 years later for the same US Senate seat and of course later also became President of Our United States.

The following speech by Abraham Lincoln is oftentimes referred to as Lincoln’s “House Divided” speech for arguably the most powerful words of the speech “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” which are actually direct quotes from Jesus, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke of the New Testament of the Bible. This speech was delivered on June 16, 1858 to more than 1,000 convention delegates, who met in the Springfield, Illinois, statehouse for the Republican State Convention at the height of tension between Northern “free” states and the Southern “slave” states. During Lincoln’s time in office, in order to keep the “Divided House” together, approximately 750,000 soldiers died during the American Civil War, which lasted for 4 bloody years and 27 days from April 12, 1861 to May 9, 1865, with casualties being roughly similar for both sides of the bloody conflict.

Remember that America has been divided many times in our history, but we always emerge united and stronger than ever before. Let this speech from Abraham Lincoln help inspire us to reach out to our fellow American brothers and sisters of the opposite party and try to hear their points of view without automatically assuming they have no basis for their political views or beliefs.

Abraham Lincoln: June 16, 1858

Springfield, Illinois

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Mr. President [of the Convention] and Gentlemen of the Convention,

If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it.

We are now far into the fifth year, since a policy was initiated, with the avowed object, and confident promise, of putting an end to slavery agitation.

Under the operation of that policy, that agitation has not only, not ceased, but has constantly augmented.

In my opinion, it will not cease, until a crisis shall have been reached, and passed.

"A house divided against itself cannot stand."

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