Gettysburg Address
Gettysburg Address
The very brief article/speech written by Abraham Lincoln as the “Gettysburg Address” is still one of the most memorable speeches in the American history. At the height of the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln delivered a speech on the battlefield of Gettysburg on November 19, 1863. This speech was addressed to the entire nation and all the soldiers present at Gettysburg. The speech is short but powerful and the two hundred sixty-five words appear to have resonated directly from Lincolns heart.
It is intriguing that President Lincoln indicated that “this nation, under God shall have a new birth of freedom.” (2) One can assume that he was referring to the democratic principles on which the United States was founded. This war was mainly fought in order to abolish slavery and establish new laws, that would grant every American citizen equality and freedom. Despite the differences between South and North, Lincoln believed that America needed to stay united, as one nation. His speech might also indicate that he felt, that if the government fell, democracy would no longer be possible.
In the second paragraph Lincoln indicated that they all met