As a historian specializing in American history, I can provide insight into Abraham Lincoln's famous phrase "a house divided." Lincoln used this metaphor during his speech on June 16, 1858, which is now known as the "House Divided" speech. The phrase refers to the growing divide over the issue of slavery in the United States at that time. Lincoln believed that a country as morally divided as the U.S. was over slavery could not stand, and he suggested that it would eventually become all one thing or the other, either entirely free or entirely slave.

Here is the English response with the key phrase highlighted:

Abraham Lincoln meant that a country so deeply divided over the issue of slavery could not endure. He suggested that the United States, being a house divided, would not be able to stand because of the moral conflict between the free states and the slave states. Lincoln believed that it would eventually have to become entirely one thing or the other, either all free or all slave.

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��House Divided�� speech definition. A speech made by Abraham Lincoln to the Illinois Republican convention in 1858. In the speech, Lincoln noted that conflict between North and South over slavery was intensifying. ... He continued: ��I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.read more >>