The Gettysburg Address Analysis

783 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address: An Evaluation

Abraham Lincoln is known for his determination and passion that he had for our country, The United States. The most famous speech that was given by Abraham is the highly inspirational ‘Gettysburg Address’. ‘The Gettysburg Address’ is the most inspirational speech that Abraham Lincoln gave because the words of this speech brought hope and great strength to the people of the nation.
The state that the nation was in at the time Lincoln gave this speech was sorrowful and grievous. The United States was caught up in the middle of a Civil War and ‘The Gettysburg Address’ was dedicated to the men who fought and died at The Battle of Gettysburg. The battle of Gettysburg was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War (“The Gettysburg Address”) and it reflected just how devastating this war was. Lincoln saw this opportunity to speak at the cemetery as a way to make a statement to the people of America on the significance of the war (“The Gettysburg Address”) and to inspire the people to keep faith in the nation. ‘The Gettysburg Address’ was just that and would go on to be the words of strength throughout the rest of the war!
“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.” These admirable words make up the first sentence that Abraham Lincoln recited in ‘The Gettysburg Address’. This first sentence reminded the crowd of our founding fathers vision (“The Gettysburg Address”) for the nation, a vision of freedom and equality that would be the cornerstone of The United States. Lincoln portrayed The Civil War as a test, a test that would see if the nation could endure the constant struggles and stay afloat, coming...

... middle of paper ...

...erately needed for the country and Lincoln provided that need. Abraham defined for the North, and for all Americans, the meaning, value, and price of freedom (“The Gettysburg Foundation”). Abraham’s goal was to remind people what being an American stood for and being that he was president, people looked up to him and admired his words that much more. Lincoln’s bravery and vision for America can be seen in his words and actions. Many people find Abraham Lincoln to be one of the greatest presidents of all time because of what he stood for and the things that he went through to get the things he wanted accomplished. People look to Lincoln as a leader and he certainly was one. Being that the state America was in at the time of the war was full of lost hope, people clung on to Lincoln’s words like a life line making ‘The Gettysburg Address’ his most inspirational speech.

Show More
Related

  • Abraham Lincoln's Famous Address, And The Rise Of A President

    686 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lincoln’s Famous Address written by Roselynn Marquez talks about how Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was only 270 words, and it followed a two hour introduction by Edward Everett. Being short was not the only memorable point that the speech had. “Another was the simplicity of its language. As historian Allen Guelzo notes, ‘the address relies on crisp, plain vocabulary.’ He points out that most of the words are only one-syllable. Doris Kearns Goodwin concludes, ‘Lincoln had translated the story of his country...into words and ideas accessible to every American.’ By making his ideas easy to grasp, Lincoln gave them directness and power” (Marquez). The Gettysburg Address to this day is known as a unforgettable expression inscribing the war that took on in the country. In summarization, Abraham Lincoln is known widely for the Address he made in Gettysburg after the battle that took place

    Read More

  • Battle Of Gettysburg DBQ

    456 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Gettysburg Address given by President Lincoln in the November following the Battle of Gettysburg acted as a call to arms. This speech gave the North a sense of pride and reassured them that they did have a chance at winning the Civil War. In The Gettysburg Address, Lincoln tells the audience not to let the men who died in the battle die in vain he tells them that their dedication will lead to a “new birth of freedom” in the nation(document D). This newly found sense of pride and hope led confidence which was something that the Confederate army was lacking at the

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

    767 Words  | 2 Pages

    On March 4th, 1865, the Civil War was drawing to an end and Abraham Lincoln gave his Second Inaugural Address to become the President of the United States for the second time. At this point it was clear that the North was to win the war. Instead of boasting and bragging about his victory, Lincoln took a different route in his speech. He focused instead on putting the war behind the nation and reunifying the country. In this famous speech, he used various forms of rhetoric and literary devices to achieve this goal. He first employs the use of God to appeal to the pathos in the people of the North and South. The overall tone of the speech is also one of unification rather than that of celebration. Going with this is his word choice or diction; he continuously addresses the country as one instead of two split parts. These literary devices are crucial to the success of his core purpose of speech.

    Read More

  • How Did Abraham Lincoln's Assassination Impact Society

    836 Words  | 2 Pages

    Without a doubt, Abraham Lincoln is one of the most celebrated people in American history. Between time span of the years 1800-1900, Abraham Lincoln is a man that stands out from the rest because of his accomplishments during life and presidency. Lincoln most definitely helped shape the United States into what it is today, with lasting benefits of equality for all, regardless of skin color. During presidency, Lincoln carried on doing what he wanted to get done despite the lack of support from many and endless death threats. When there was conflict among advisors and himself, his leadership style often involved telling a story that displayed his point. Most of the time this method worked, and many people admired and respected him for it. He

    Read More

  • Lincoln At Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America

    1132 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America "Fourscore and seven years ago…." These are the first 5 of only two hundred seventy-two words that remade America. In Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America, the author, Gary Wills, informed us that Abraham Lincoln wanted equality among us and to unite as one. In Abraham Lincoln's own speech, he would not mention single individuals or even top officers. Everyone was considered as equal importance and was never any different. "Though we call Lincoln's text the Gettysburg Address, that title clearly belongs to Everett." 1 This is very true, which I think is interesting. Everett who was chosen by David Wills to commemorate the National Cemetery of Gettysburg, was supposed to be the speaker while Lincoln was only the dedicatory remarks speaker. Not only did Lincoln have the favorable speech, it was only three minutes while Everett's was two hours long. Lincoln also supposedly was not supposed to be there to speak; he actually just told a correspondent that he would be present. It's amazing to believe that a two hundred seventy-two word speech would say so much to thousands of people.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis of The Gettysburg Address

    778 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lincoln had numerous purposes for his Gettysburg Address. Firstly, it was to be used to dedicate the land where the Battle of Gettysburg had taken place as a cemetery for the fallen Union troops, the most obvious and main reason for his address. His second purpose for the address was to change the war on states’ rights to a war on slavery and upholding the ideals that the founders had created in the Declaration of Independence. By doing this, Lincoln was capable to manipulate countries, such as England and France who had not been fond of slavery for decades, in making them loath the Confederacy and make sure other nations would not recognize the Confederacy as a nation.

    Read More

  • Diction In The Gettysburg Address

    663 Words  | 2 Pages

    The speech “Gettysburg address” was written November 19 1863, almost four years after the first shots of the civil war happened in fort sumter . This speech was so impactful and it was only two minutes long. This two minute speech was one of many impactful speeches in history. Abraham Lincoln wrote the speech “ Gettysburg address” . During the civil war a lot of the soldiers had died. Family members were grieving over the loss of loved ones, and friends. Abraham Lincoln made this speech for the people who lost family members or loved ones in the war. This speech honored those who have fallen on the battlefield and remind those why we had a civil war. Abraham Lincoln reminded the soldiers what they were fighting for in the first place , that they can move forward from the loss of soldiers in “ Gettysburg Address “ using repetition and diction .

    Read More

  • Abraham Lincoln's Purpose Of The Gettysburg Address

    650 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lincoln's purpose of the speech was to honor the dead soldiers who had fought for equality, freedom, and national unity. This can be seen in, "...that we here highly

    Read More

  • Gettysburg Address Rhetorical Analysis

    893 Words  | 2 Pages

    Abraham Lincoln wrote one of the greatest speeches in American history, known as the Gettysburg Address. It was not only used as a dedication to the fallen troops of the North and South, but as a speech to give the Union a reason to fight and attempt to unite the divided nation. The sixteenth president’s handling of his speech at Gettysburg demonstrated how the effectiveness of juxtaposition, repetition, and parallelism, could bring unity to a nation deeply divided on beliefs. His speech touched the hearts of many and indirectly put an end to the Civil War. Lincoln may have been considered a tyrant at the time, but he was a great leader of a nation, a war, and a democracy.

    Read More

  • Lincoln the Tyrant

    2247 Words  | 5 Pages

    There is no doubt that Abraham Lincoln is widely regarded as one of the great American presidents. The general public, when asked about Lincoln, will often tell the tale of a great man. Holding their head high, they will embark on the journey of a benevolent leader, praising the man who envisioned a new America: a great country of racial equality, and the pillar of human liberty. There are some, however, who have quite the opposite view.

    Read More

  • Juxtaposition In The Gettysburg Address

    1025 Words  | 3 Pages

    On July 1st, 1863 Confederate General Robert E. Lee and Union General George C. Meade transformed Gettysburg, Pennsylvania into a battleground for the Civil War,the battle ended July 3rd, 1863. David Wills was charged by Pennsylvania 's Governor Andrew Curtin to clean up after the battle, part of the battlefield was converted into a gravel site for the soldiers. Later on November 2nd, 1863 President Abraham Lincoln received an invitation from Wills to speak at the dedication ceremony for the soldiers who lost their lives.

    Read More

  • Gettysburg Address Dbq Essay

    489 Words  | 1 Pages

    At 7:30am, on Wednesday, July 1st, 1863, at the intersection of Knoxlyn Rd and US Rt. 30 Chambersburg Pike, a shot was fired by Lieutenant Marcellus Jones. This shot would not be forgotten, as it was the beginning of what would turn into one of the biggest turning points of the Civil War; The Battle of Gettysburg. This three day streak of combat would later be referred to as the “High Water Mark of the Rebellion.” With the outcome being an overall Union victory, the Battle of Gettysburg would mark the point at which the Union would place the Confederacy on the defensive and end General Robert E. Lee’s most ambitious attempt to seize Union territory. The Battle of Gettysburg was so critical, in fact, that it lead to one of the most vital documents written in United States history, the Gettysburg Address. How exactly did this battle guide President Abraham Lincoln to write the Gettysburg Address is a common question among many.

    Read More

  • Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation

    669 Words  | 2 Pages

    Abraham Lincoln is arguably one of the greatest presidents in the history of the United States. He only served 5 years, but was president in the worst period of American history. He did the unthinkable to many people because of the severity of the decision; he emancipated slaves in the United States. This caused him to be dubbed ‘The Great Emancipator’. The nickname he received is an accurate one because it is a major decision that shaped the future of America. This decision was long overdue and he made sure that the prosperity would not have to deal with the issue of slavery separating the government. Additionally, he was able to change the landscape of the war because the North had affected the South’s way of life. He was very bold for declaring that all slaves will be free, but it was for the improvement of America.

    Read More

  • Pathos In The Gettysburg Address

    822 Words  | 2 Pages

    On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered ‘’The Gettysburg Address’’. Abraham Lincoln’s purpose in ‘’The Gettysburg Address’’ was to persuade listeners to finish what those who fought for died for by treating everyone else equally. ‘’The Gettysburg Address’’ is the most compelling speech due to its use of rhetorical

    Read More

  • Abraham Lincoln as the Greatest President

    1713 Words  | 4 Pages

    Abraham Lincoln is regarded by many Americans as the greatest president to ever hold office in the history of the United States, and his reputation is definitely well deserved. Lincoln wasn't scared to stand up and fight for what he knew was right. He was convinced that within the branches of government, the presidency alone was empowered not only to uphold the Constitution, but also to protect, and defend it. Lincoln was able to lead our country and preserve the Union, keeping the United States from splintering during the devastating times of the Civil War. As President, he built the Republican Party into a strong national organization, and he rallied most of the northern Democrats to the Union cause. On January 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation that changed the war into a battle for freedom and declared forever free those slaves within the Confederacy. That November, Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address, which stated how a country must be dedicated to human freedom in order to survive. He dedicated the battlefield to the soldiers who had perished, and called on the living to finish the task the dead soldiers had begun. (Donald, 1995) Lincoln believed that democracy could be a lasting form of government. He showed a nobility of character that had worldwide appeal, and he was a man of great integrity. However, Lincoln was not only the 16th president of the United States, he was an American hero. Lincoln was a well-rounded individual and he had numerous outstanding qualities. However, it is important to remember that Lincoln also led a private life, complete with close friends and family.

    Read More

More about The Gettysburg Address Analysis

Open Document