Gettysburg Address
Gettysburg Address was the speech that Abraham Lincoln that was delivered by him on 19, November, 1863 in the Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This speech was delivered on the inauguration of the cemetery for the dead soldiers who died in the war that was previously going through in the Gettysburg between the Union and Confederacy during the American Civil War that finally led to the freedom of the nation. Battle at Gettysburg was a big significant step towards the final victory and the speech of Abraham Lincoln made this event unforgettable in the history.
It was all started when the dead bodies exceeded to more than 50,000 in the Gettysburg. The residents in the Gettysburg were merely around 2400. After the battle they all tried to carry out bodies to get them sorted out and then burry. The number of the dead soldiers was so enormous that it required a proper organized cemetery. So the people asked government of Pennsylvania to provide the space. Instead of any help, a rich person David Wills provided the space of 17 acres for the cemetery. In the inauguration of this cemetery, the Vice President candidate Edward Everett was invited for the speech.
The first date for the speech was 23, October but due to the Edward Everett’s inability to writer a good speech in quick time the date was then rearranged to be 19, November. President, Abraham Lincoln, was not invited at place. David Wills afterwards sent a letter in early November to invite President with clearly outlining his little role in the event. The speech of President was one the most quoted speeches in the history of United States. The importance of this speech was very elevating at that time because of the rush times going around due to the Civil War.
Politically, the next year elections of 1964 were of greater significance because the peaceful Democrats were looking to remove Abraham Lincoln from the office due his hard steps towards the Confederacy. They were of the viewpoint that this war was not inevitable but just been put on the people of the America by the Abraham. This stance of Democrats was living up to their desires and people started to move against the policies of Abraham. It was this time, when Abraham Lincoln has to produce some magic words that could gain the trust of the misguided people.
This Gettysburg Address did that in a very right manner. Edward Everett made his speech of around two hours before Lincoln came on the stage for his words. The speech of Edward was in the right balance and clearly shed his views on the bravery of those who gave their lives for the people of this great nation. Then the President came on the stage for his speech. His speech was around two minutes long which gave away the credit to the dead soldiers and put impact on the need of these heroes who can bring peace to this nation eventually.
His speech was around 272 words. Abraham started his speech by giving the credit to the forefathers by saying the first words of his speech, “Four score and seven years”. By this he meant the declaration of Independence which happened in 1776. That was the time when the America came into being. Abraham acknowledged the role their fathers play to give freedom to this nation and started to enlighten the audience by saying that it is the time again where we have to take certain steps as the Civil War is up on the heels.
This Civil War is the war of independence of those who want to live free and want to live in Great America as a Great Nation. He continued to state that those who have fought with courage and bravery are the ones who want their children to breathe safely. This Civil War has been put on us so that we could give our main objectives to live in America. He said that this cemetery is the place where we could all come to see the graves of those who are dead for us.
According to Abraham, this place has been consecrated by those who are dead here and not by us. He said that no one will remember us or the words we are saying today or the importance of this speech, but we and all those who will be coming after will remember those who are resting in peace in these graves. Abraham then addressed the audience to let them know that this is the only start for us. We have to continue this fight that has been started by these noble men so that we should get the main objectives on which our lives are based upon.
Its not an individual problem we are dealing with here, we are a mass and a united masses of people who know their strength and live not hesitate in stepping forward to give their lives in order to get a better future for all those who deserve it. He again added that the sacrifice of these brave soldiers will never be compromised and it will give birth to a new nation which is free. In the end his words, “and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth” were the power source for the people to stand up and take a stance against those who hinder obstacles in their freedom.
It has always been the freedom for the people of America. Right from the start when Declaration of Independence took place and then this Gettysburg Address it has always been about freedom. Abraham’s speech was the igniting factor in the Civil War and the propaganda that was started by the Democrats was removed. These just two minutes of speech of Gettysburg by Abraham Lincoln changed the course of the nation towards independence and prosperity and it is continued until now. Works Cited Wills, Garry. Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America. New York: Touchstone Books, 1993.
Hoch, Bradley R. and Boritt, Gabor S. The Lincoln Trail in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2001. Boritt, Gabor. The Gettysburg Gospel: The Lincoln Speech That Nobody Knows. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006. Graham, Kent. November: Lincoln’s Elegy at Gettysburg. Philadelphia: Indiana University Press, 2001. Kunhardt, Philip B. , Jr. A New Birth of Freedom – Lincoln at Gettysburg. Boston: Little, Brown, 1983. McPherson, James M. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
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