"The Gettysburg Address"

Question

by Abraham Lincoln

Gettysburg address delivered at Gettysburg Pa. Nov. 19th, 1863. [n. p. n. d.].

Gettysburg Address

Delivered at Gettysburg, Pa.

Nov. 19th 1863.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. “Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. “But in a larger sense we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us,that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion, that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Answer 1

The Gettysburg Address is a poignant speech delivered by President Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863, during the dedication of a cemetery for Union soldiers who died at the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. In this brief but powerful address, Lincoln reflects on the principles of human equality and the purpose of the nation, emphasizing the importance of preserving a government that is accountable to its citizens.

Key themes include:

1. Historical Reflection: Lincoln opens by referencing the founding of the nation "four score and seven years ago," signaling a connection to the Declaration of Independence and the ideals of freedom and equality.

2. Civil War Context: He acknowledges the ongoing conflict, presenting it as a test of whether a nation founded on such principles can survive.

3. Honoring the Fallen: Lincoln pays tribute to the soldiers who fought and died at Gettysburg, asserting that their sacrifices consecrate the ground far beyond any words spoken.

4. Call to Action: The address shifts focus to the living, urging them to commit to the unfinished work of ensuring that the nation continues to strive for the ideals for which those soldiers gave their lives.

5. Vision for the Future: The speech concludes with a resolve that the nation will experience a "new birth of freedom" and affirm its government as one "of the people, by the people, for the people," highlighting democracy's resilience.

Overall, the Gettysburg Address encapsulates profound reflections on democracy, sacrifice, and national purpose, remaining one of the most quoted and revered speeches in American history.