There is an old cliche that states, "History repeats itself". Although old and overused, the saying still rings true today. In the events of the Civil war and the terrorist attacks on the world trade center, many people feared the lives of themselves and their families were in jeopardy. The feeling of absolute terror of not knowing if one or the people a person loved will make it to the next day is evident between both works of Battle Hymn of the Republic by Julia Ward Howe, and Address to the Nation on the Terrorist Attacks by George W. Bush. Even though these works were written over 100 years apart, the similarities can still be seen very easily through breaking down the historical evidence at the time. Through looking at the historical context of the texts Battle Hymn of the Republic by Julia Ward Howe, and Address to the Nation on the Terrorist Attacks by George W. Bush, a few similarities can be made, and this can help the reader see how not much has changed in the way the United States reacts to war. 

In the middle of the 1800's the country was at war with each other. The North and South were killing hundreds of thousands of people in a civil war that changed the country forever. Young men were going to war in serving for their side of the country and dying while doing it. This was a brutal war which one could assume that at times it probably seemed like to the soldiers that the war was never going to end. Throughout the text, the feeling of pushing through the pain from the war can be drawn with ease. The song was built with the knowledge that the soldiers were struggling to keep going. This song was meant to keep them optimistic and somewhat positive during this incredibly negative time. There is a religious reference at the beginning of the song, and this continues throughout the piece. Howe claims that she sees God through events like "the watch fires of a hundred circling camps", and "he is tramping out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored" (Howe 462). Through the terrors of the civil war, Howe gives the reader hope. She claims that God is coming to help, and if the people of the country keep on trudging through the tragedies with God on their side, all men will be made free. The work seems to look towards God as a savior, and the only way out of this horrific war. The historical aspect of the war and what it did to the people involved. It lead them towards a relationship with a higher being, which can been seen through religious references in the work. However, the response is very optimistic through all of the tough times, and it was meant to boost the morale of anyone that was reading. 

Next, the piece Address to the Nation on the Terrorist Attacks was a speech given by George W. Bush right after the attacks on the World Trade Center occurred. George Bush was obviously been placed in a very tough position as president. The country had not been under attack since Pearl Harbor, and many people were terrified they were going to get hit again. The fact that the attack was on a building that had nothing to do with the military made citizens even more worried, as anyone could be subject to the next attack. However, Bush responded with the idea that the country would come out of this stronger than before. He says, "These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve" (Bush 468).  Bush's claims were bold, but very true. The country did end up coming out stronger after the attacks, and behind this speech the morale was lifted among the citizens of the country. This message by Bush was meant to bring the country together. He knew that this attack could do one of two things to the country. It could possibly create total mayhem, and cause the entire country to hideout in shelters in fear of being bombed. He is quoted as saying, "These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat" (Bush 467). It could bring the country together, and through the hell that the terrorist attacks put many families, and the country as a whole through, the country could come out stronger as one. Bush utilized the mood of the country to his advantage. He knew the two possible outcomes going into his speech, and this impacted the way that he gave it. He added lots of optimistic phrases and comparisons into his speech, and this gave the country hope during this time of sorrow. Bush realizing the two possible outcomes of the attack correlates directly with the historical context of the work. If Bush would have known that they were safe, he would have reassured the country through a speech that talked about how they do not need to worry about another attack. However, he utilizes the fact that there is the possibility of another attack to his advantage, and pulls the viewer into being proud to be American and to not back down. George Bush uses the events during his time and the significance of the 9/11 attacks to make his point clear. 

Between these two pieces of literature written at two completely different time periods, the reader can still draw comparisons. Both works are big on pushing though the horrible events now, and enjoying the benefits that will come out of being courageous at the end. Battle Hymn of the Republic involves using God's strength in order to get to the final goal, which is freedom for all men. In Address to the Nation on the Terrorist Attacks, Bush talks about how the country will come out stronger as well. Both pieces push for coming out of these awful situations better than before. They also both base their beliefs in overcoming these disasters with a relationship with God. Bush speaks of Psalm 23 in his speech, and practically the entire song of Battle Hymn of the Republic is based off of God pushing these people through to better days. These pieces obviously both rely on the strength of God in a time of need because at the time, it was all they could hold onto. A savior from above is the only thing that can save both of these of course there are some differences in the pieces as well. The time plays a huge factor, because at the time the civil war was going on the country was completely different. There were hardly any other forms of religion, and a significant less amount of immigrants. So in the Battle Hymn of the Republic  Now the world has come to religion playing a roll in national wars. Religion now casues mass wars that we are still dealing with today. However, in the past there was pretty much only one religion in the United States, or at least the majority of the country was Christian at the time. So both sides of the war were praying to the same God to solve their problems, as they were fighting against each other. The time change can play a large roll in the way the piece is interpreted, but there are many more similarities than differences in these two works. The message of grinding through the hard times is apparent in both of these works, along with religious references that claim God will help them through these hard times.

In conclusion, both Battle Hymn of the Republic by Julia Ward Howe, and Address to the Nation on the Terrorist Attacks by George W. Bush both push to create peace for a group of people. Whether it is the upbeat Hymn that kept the Civil war soldiers going, or the address that the President of the United States gave to the public after it's first attack on its soil in over 50 years, they both are very optimistic and positive. They push for grinding through the hard times to get to the better, and preach that the groups of people will come out stronger than before. They both rely on the strength of a higher power to get them through these events as well, and believe he will save them from their problems. Although there is a huge time change difference there are many more things that point towards these two pieces being similar as opposed to being different. Through analyzing the historical events occurring during the time as well, one can pull the meaning of both from the work. Overall, they both were meant as a way to pull people out of the hard time they were dealing with, and establish a message that everything would be alright in the end. 

