Final answer:
Lincoln's approach in his addresses during the Civil War reflected his focus on reconciliation and healing the divided nation. He aimed for a lenient Reconstruction with his ten percent plan to quickly reintegrate the Southern states and emphasized the theme of unity, avoiding punishment for the South while highlighting the nation's obligation to former slaves.
Step-by-step explanation:
By 1884, General William T. Sherman’s march to the sea had indeed made a Union victory more likely, and this signaled the advent of the Reconstruction era. Abraham Lincoln made several choices in his public addresses that indicated preparations for reconciliation and the healing of the nation post-Civil War. First, he stated that he would not interfere with slavery where it already existed, which was a concession to Southern states. Secondly, he pursued a policy that enforced the law on federal property without resorting to violence unless necessary. Lastly, Lincoln invoked a tone of reunion and healing in his rhetoric, appealing to common memories and suggesting that Americans were 'not enemies, but friends'.
In his second inaugural address, Lincoln also considered the 'nation's obligation to the slaves' and the 'process of reconciliation'. Furthermore, he proposed a lenient plan that became known as the ten percent plan, granting pardons to rebels (with some exceptions), requiring a portion of the population to pledge allegiance to the Union, and drafting new state constitutions. This plan underscored Lincoln's intent to reintegrate the Southern states back into the Union rather than punish them, demonstrating his commitment to mending the nation's wounds.