Abraham L
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
San Francisco State University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
3000
Subject
History
Date
Nov 24, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
7
Uploaded by sparrow01
THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS
Name
Course
Date
1
The Gettysburg Address
is a short speech that President Abraham Lincoln made on 19
th
November 1863 in Pennsylvania. The speech, which is believed to have taken the shortest time to prepare under hasty conditions, is one of the most remembered speeches in American history due to its artistic creation, characterized by carefully selected words that made it relevant to the immediate situation. Abraham Lincoln made this speech on the official
day when the National Gettysburg cemetery was being dedicated for burying the casualties of
the most deadly confrontation between the soldiers of the confederate states and those of the Union states during the American Civil War. Abraham Lincoln may have decided to make his
speech short because he had limited time to prepare for a long speech since the official speaker, Edward Everett, had claimed that he was not ready to deliver the speech. Being the president who was in charge of rebuilding the new United States of America after the civil war, Abraham Lincoln had to take charge to prepare such a short, captivating speech. The speech drew the connection between the founding fathers of the Union during the Declaration
of Independence, the then current state of a massacre, and the critical role of everyone present
at the time to ensure that the United States continued to exist. The
Gettysburg Address is, therefore, important because it captures significant aspects of American history.
The Gettysburg Address
served as a reminder to the American people of where they had come from, where they were and where they were going. For instance, Lincoln begins the
speech by invoking the Union's founding fathers during the declaration of independence. He appreciates the noble task they did at that time, “our fathers brought forth … a new nation, conceived in liberty… dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal
1
.” He thus hails the nation’s founding fathers’ actions of finding a nation in which liberty and equality prevailed. In this part of the speech, Abraham Lincoln alludes to the Americans' failure to 1 Lincoln, Abraham.
The gettysburg address
. Penguin UK, 2009.
2
adhere to the principles of equality and liberty, which led to the outbreak of the civil war. In a
more specific perspective, Lincoln alludes to the slavery that the African-Americans were subjected to by their white masters, despite them being the citizens of independent America. He avoids mentioning the American constitution as a clear demonstration of remorse that many Americans must had been going through for drafting a constitution containing principles that were not in line with the principles of the declaration of independence. Thus, it
led to conflict which led to a growing suspicion between those who supported slavery and abolitionists. Hence, the outbreak of the bloody civil war
2
. The American constitution failed to recognize the African-Americans as equal partners in sharing the independence cake and thus giving rise to abolitionists
3
. In the second part of the speech, Abraham Lincoln touches on the significance of the Civil War on testing the stability of the Union that was formed upon the declaration of independence, “Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure…
4
” Lincoln alludes to the satisfaction that the war has tested the Union, and the Union has emerged stronger by defeating the confederate states. Therefore, he alludes to the importance of rebuilding the Union afresh to realize the dreams of the declaration of independence. He also hails the soldiers who fought gallantly for the restoration of the Union. Thus it was appropriate for everyone to give that portion of Gettysburg as their final resting place after working hard for the nation. The reference of the civil war that was taking place in America helps to bring out the theme of the
conflict over the institution of slavery, whose climax was the secession of the southern states, 2 Locke, Joseph, and Ben Wright. "The American Yawp." (2015).
3 Locke, "The American Yawp." (2015).
4 Lincoln, Abraham.
The gettysburg address
. Penguin UK, 2009.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
3
which raised more tension between the Union and the seceded states
5
. According to the American Yawp, the seceded southern states and the united states were in a constant conflict over cotton-growing territories, which were slaves’ territories, with the northern states’ desire to acquire the slave territories for industrial development, which led to the eventual outbreak of the civil war
6
. Thus Lincoln comments on the importance of dedicating the land portion to the gallant soldiers who, by fighting for the nation, they fought for that piece of land and thus they deserved to be buried there, "we cannot dedicate… consecrate… hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it
7
.” Thus, by honoring
the fallen soldiers who fought for restoration of the Union, Lincoln emphasizes on the importance of forgetting about the woes of the Civil War and focusing on completing the work which the soldiers begun; rebuilding America. However, the speech was sharply contradicted by the event that took place in 1965, when he was assassinated. In the speech, he
says, “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here
8
.” This section of his speech is contradicted when he gets assassinated. His
assassination signifies that the world, which is represented by his murderers, had already forgotten what had happened at that ground and thus signifying that the underlying conflict went on and that the noble work of rebuilding the Union was far from being complete
9
. 5 Gruner, Oliver, and Dan McCabe. "Gettysburg Inc.: The use and abuse of a historical icon." The Poster
5, no. 1 (2017): 77-100.
6 Locke, Joseph, and Ben Wright. "The American Yawp." (2015).
7 Lincoln, Abraham.
The gettysburg address
. Penguin UK, 2009.
8 Lincoln, “The gettyburg address." 9 Gruner, Oliver, and Dan McCabe. "Gettysburg Inc.: The use and abuse of an historical icon."
The Poster
5, no. 1 (2017): 77-100.
4
Lincoln concludes the speech by providing the way forward for the Americans after the civil war. He comments on the importance of honoring the fallen soldiers, “…from these honored dead we take increased devotion … these dead shall not have died in vain
10
.” Lincoln, thus, implies that the greatest form of honor the Americans could give to the fallen soldiers of the civil war was to devote themselves to rebuilding the nation. By referring back to the words ‘that government of the people, by the people, for the people…
11
'Lincoln emphasizes the democratic nature of the United States. Therefore, the episode can be read as Lincoln's way of implying that by ensuring that democracy prevailed in the United States, the
nation will realize the dreams of the founding fathers of the American nations and the fallen soldiers in defense of the Union. The Gettysburg Address, therefore, predicts the socio-
political events that followed the American Civil war. Based on his emphasis on the importance of social equality, the American social-political reconstruction followed
12
. The equality was marked by revising the independence constitution to include the 13
th
amendment, which abolished slavery in America, not unless it was a criminal punishment. Thus, it gave black Americans the freedom to enjoy their natural rights, which was not there before the civil war. In conclusion, The Gettysburg Address is a constant reminder of the American people on important historical events, especially the civil war. It reminds them of the uncertain turning point which the Americans found themselves at due to failure to uphold equality as was expected in the declaration of independence. Therefore, the speech is a reminder that the 10 Lincoln, “The gettyburg address." 11 Lincoln, Abraham.
The gettysburg address
. Penguin UK, 2009.
12 Schneider, Phil. "The World Will Little Note": The Gettysburg Address and Its Many Interpretations in Newspapers, Political Discourse, and Textbooks Since 1863." PhD diss., Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, 2020.
5
American nation as a free and democratic nation, and any diversion from these principles may result in damage to the nation that was formed during the American Revolution.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
6
Bibliography
Gruner, Oliver, and Dan McCabe. "Gettysburg Inc.: The use and abuse of an historical icon."
The Poster
5, no. 1 (2017): 77-100.
Lincoln, Abraham.
The gettysburg address
. Penguin UK, 2009.
Locke, Joseph, and Ben Wright. "The American Yawp." (2015).
Schneider, Phil. "“The World Will Little Note”: The Gettysburg Address and Its Many Interpretations in Newspapers, Political Discourse, and Textbooks Since 1863." PhD diss., Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, 2020.