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effects of african slavery in america
effects of african slavery in america
analyze declaration of independence
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The Civil War was a time when the United States was split in two. In every battle Americans were killing Americans because of sectional conflicts. These were times when people were forgetting the concept of the United States, all the things their fathers and grandfathers had worked so hard for. Lincoln’s speech, The Gettysburg Address, defined, symbolized, and epitomized the spirit of America. Lincoln established equality, found in the Declaration of Independence but not in the Constitution nor in any Federal or State law, as a basic and fundamental concept in America. This is very true since this country was founded on equality but apparently not granted in the Constitution to all. In the time of the Civil War many Americans forgot what equality meant, freedom for all - black and white.
The Gettysburg Address was written by President Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863. It was delivered at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania at the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery, honoring those who died in the Civil War battle of Gettysburg earlier that year. “The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here…”. (Doc. 25 line 10). The brief speech was followed by a two-hour oration by Edward Everett, one of the most famous speakers of the time. The next day the newspaper of the time regarded Everett’s speech very highly and only briefly mentioned Lincoln. Ironically, Everett sent Lincoln a note saying, “I wish that I could flatter myself that I had come as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes.” (Encarta). Although Lincoln was not as eloquent and verbose as many, his words had a deep meaning and touched the hearts of many soldiers who fought at Gettysburg.
In the Gettysburg Address Lincoln states, “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.” (Doc. 25 lines 1-3). By saying this Lincoln meant that the United States was born through the struggle of the colonists for freedom from England. When the fathers of this country made this nation, they wanted it to be one of liberty and equality.
The Civil War was basically fought over the issue of slavery and keeping the United States as...
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...uality, equality for all. The Address also did not have the power to do this. After the Address was written the Emancipation Proclamation was also written by Lincoln to emancipate all slaves living in Confederate territory. This was so far the only document that actually headed more in the direction of equality than any other. Both the Address and the Declaration were symbols of freedom and liberty against a foe that intended to demolish these concepts.
“The Gettysburg Address is …recognized …as the one of the most moving expressions of the democratic spirit ever uttered.”(Encarta). The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important symbols of what America stands for. Both are important in recognizing how we as Americans have come to enjoy the freedom and equality that we have today.
WORKS CITED
Document 25. “The Gettysburg Address”, Abraham Lincoln
Encarta Encyclopedia. “The Gettysburg Address” 1996
The American Civil War was a major war in the United States between the Union and eleven Southern states which declared that they had a right to secession and formed the Confederate States of America. They were led by Jefferson Davis who was elected as their president. The Union, led by President Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party, opposed the expansion of slavery into territories owned by the United States and rejected any right of secession. The United States Civil War began as an effort to save the Union but it ended in a fight to abolish slavery. Tens of thousands of soldiers on each side, in battle after battle, had the courage to march in regular order against the withering fire of the defenders, while those around them fell with hideous and usually fatal wounds for many different reasons. Southerners fought for their rights and their way of life. Blacks for on another and for the end of slavery. Northerners fought to keep the Union together and latter on the end of slavery. Blacks fought for Religion, to demonstrate to all that blacks are just as capable as whites in battle and to show Gods righteousness.
Four and a half months after the Union defeated the Confederacy at the Battle of Gettysburg, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863. He gave the Union soldiers a new perspective on the war and something to fight for. Before the address, the Civil War was based solely on states’ rights. Lincoln’s speech has the essence of America and the ideals that were put into the Declaration of Independence by the founders. The sixteenth president of the United States was capable of using his speech to turn a war on states rights to a war on slavery and upholding the principles that America was founded upon. By turning the Civil War into a war that was about slavery he was able to ensure that no foreign country would recognize the south as an independent nation, thus ensuring Union success in the war. In his speech, Lincoln used the rhetorical devices of juxtaposition, repetition, and parallelism.
Four and a half months after the Union defeated the Confederacy at the Battle of Gettysburg, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863. He gave the Union soldiers a new perspective on the war and a reason to fight in the Civil War. Before the address, the Civil War was based on states’ rights. Lincoln’s speech has the essence of America and the ideals that were instilled in the Declaration of Independence by the Founders. The sixteenth president of the United States was capable of using his speech to turn a war on states’ rights to a war on slavery and upholding the principles that America was founded upon. By turning the Civil War into a war about slavery he effortlessly ensured that no foreign country would recognize the South as an independent nation, ensuring Union success in the war. In his speech, Lincoln used the rhetorical devices of juxtaposition, repetition, and parallelism, to touch the hearts of its listeners.
While the Gettysburg Address is fairly short in length at around 300 words, this famous speech delivered by President Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1963 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is both enduring and meaningful for all Americans today, almost exactly 146 years later. The first paragraph of his speech sets the tone, in which Lincoln does not directly mention the bloody Battle of Gettysburg, in which 50,000 soldiers lost their lives. Instead, he refers in the opening phrase, “Four score and seven years ago,” to the founding of America through another important written document, the Declaration of Independence in 1776. I believe Lincoln wanted the country to focus on preserving this country, and in his speech reminded all American citizens that this nation was “conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” I believe Lincoln wanted all Americans, Union and Confederate, to focus on preserving the nation, and he did not want to upset everyone by dwelling on the bloody Battle of Gettysburg t...
Lincoln begins his speech by speaking about the past in which the founding fathers established this country in equality. " Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." This was very important because that was exactly the opposite of what was going on in this country during that time. America in the late 1800s was a time of slavery. That was one of the main reasons the Civil War was declared.
The Gettysburg Address is a prominent speech in the history of Abraham Lincoln’s writings and in the American history in whole. Abraham Lincoln is considered to be the first and most successful politician who could integrate the political issue in the biblical sense and scratch it tightly to the Declaration of Independence ideals. The Gettysburg Address expresses clearly this talent in
Lincoln wished to destroy the South and instill it with ideas from the anti-slave North. Blacks would be free to work for themselves as freemen. The South took the Emancipation Proclamation as the Nation’s biggest atrocity committed on its own people in history. Some slave owning Northerners claimed it was unconstitutional and would lead to violent slave uprisings and the taking of white man’s jobs. This was an “act of justice” that needed to be signed and ratified (Chapter 14, pp. 447). Lincoln knew that this was an important moment in history when he said: “If my name ever goes into history, it was for this act” (Chapter 14, pp. 447). This is what Lincoln would be remembered for in the years to come. His name went down in history as the President
The Civil War lasted 5 years, took 600,000 lives and yet there exists doubt in what is the main reason behind it. I myself feel that the major issue that triggered the war was slavery, which for the South threatened economy. I am going to discuss how issues of slavery existed before the war, how it was in the minds of soldiers during the war, and then still existed after the war.
The Civil War was a huge piece of American History. Without this large blanket of events, the United States would not have developed to be the way it is today. The Civil War, which has also been called the first “modern war,” was an extensive, dirty one. The constant struggle of the North versus the South went on for a little over four years. This struggle lasted so long because each side had its own challenges to face, along with benefits of their own. The North, though it possessed various advantages in terms of their military, socially, economically, and politically, still had multiple disadvantages. The South went by the same idea, possessing their own benefits, but having some costs as well.
This helped develop the central idea by making sense. The devices Lincoln used for this main idea are logos, repetition, and diction. First, he uses logos and diction when he states, ‘’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.’’(Lincoln, 1) This appeals to the brain since it makes a valid argument for freedom and the use of diction makes the speech memorable; this makes us agree with his point. Moreover, he uses repetition when he says, ‘’...of the people, by the people, for the people…’’(Lincoln, 1) His repetition of ‘’the people’’ emphasis the fact that this nation was made for the people. Lincoln’s use of logos, repetition, and diction stick words to our heads and connects dots that make us go, ‘’duh’’.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
The first sentence of The Gettysburg Address ends with the wise words, “all men are created equal” (Lincoln 601). This serves as an allusion to the Declaration of Independence. Lincoln implants logos through this allusion because he presents the principle foundation of America. This proposition that holds the right to “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,” reminds Lincoln’s audience that their nation was created because of such beliefs that must be preserved ("The Declaration of Independence: A Transcription”). This rhetorical technique meritoriously convinces the nation that, in order to have such rights, they must fight for freedom and equality as a union. Lincoln then uses antithesis or parallelism while employing logic on the sacrifices made by the brave men who passed. He expresses, “but, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate- we cannot consecrate- we cannot hallow-this ground” (Lincoln 602). In other words, nothing can be done to change the sacrifices made by those who fought on the battlefield except to work as a union for the purpose of finishing the work that was started. This impactful quote leads the families and friends of the dead and wounded who were present at the battlefield cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to reconsider their negative thoughts on the Civil War. Emotionally wrecked, many Americans were fed up with the war and were beginning to despise it. Lincoln’s persuasions through the use of logos with allusion and antithesis techniques are some of the many ways where he tries to change the mentality of the American society as it relates to the
The United States Civil War was a time of great change not only for the United States but the world. Men, women, blacks and whites all played important roles in the turnout of this slavery based war. Many of these people’s efforts are often forgotten and others are greatly stereotyped and exaggerated. Every
but other nations were as well effected by it. The civil war was a conflict
Depending on the generation, who is analyzing the meaning of the address, will vary. Historians have been trying to analyze President Abraham Lincoln’s address; some say he was trying to remind the people on what basis the country was established, which was liberty and equality. Eric Foner mentions in the book “Give Me Liberty! An American History” that Lincoln with his speech “identified the nation’s mission with the principle that “all men are created equal,” spoke of the war as bringing about a “new birth of freedom,” an defined the essence of democratic government” (529). Some say this was the beginning of Democracy. Adam Goodheart states, “Invoking the images of rebirth, and stressing the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, he gave Americans a new understanding of the war’s – and the nation’s purpose” (4). Mike Wereschagin mentions, “Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address planted a marker in the country’s unfolding history. The speech recast was as a struggle for something larger than the country over which it was fought”(1). As there are many different opinions on Presidents Lincoln intent regarding this address, at the end they all seem to have some connection based on how it is