Gettysburg Essay

Seven score and nine years ago, Abraham Lincoln, our sixteenth President of the United States of America, set off for Gettysburg in order to consecrate Gettysburg National Cemetery. In an uncharacteristically short speech-at least for the 1860s-Lincoln was able to reaffirm the values our Founding Fathers had laid down in the Declaration of Independence as well as the Constitution, and painted a vision of a unified United States where freedom and democracy would be the rule for all citizens. Lincoln utilized various rhetorical devices to make the Gettysburg Address accomplish two tasks in one. The first is to bring remembrance to the principals and morals for which the United States was built upon, second is to honor the brave soldiers who fought and died at Gettysburg and consecrate the land upon which they stood and finally was to sway those attending into giving their “…last full measure of devotion-” to ensure a nation that would remain built upon the concepts of liberty and democracy and continues to gain support for the cause of the war.. Seeking only to honor the dead and inspire the living, Lincoln ended up delivering one of the most powerful speeches in American-if not world-history.

Americans had been engaged in a Civil War which had been begun in April of 1861 with shots fired on a fort in South Carolina. In the summer of 1863 in a small town called Gettysburg, there would be a fierce battle fought between the Union Army of the Potomac led by General George G. Meade and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia led by General Robert E. Lee. The events of the battle would overcome the losses suffered by the Union and put the Confederacy on the run. “Over 165,000 men would converge, and before the fighting ended, the ground would run red with blood. The battle was fierce, and the casualties proved it. But the casualties that resulted would not be in vain, at least for the Union; the formidable power

That was the reason for the visit to Gettysburg. It was a trip with Edward Everett to dedicate a newly created cemetery that was must needed in the country at the time due to all the fallen during the war. President Lincoln followed Mr. Everett’s two hour speech with his two minute speech which was decided in nature to sum up what Mr. Everett just talked about. A key thing to remember in the Gettysburg address was the importance not to forget about the fallen young Soldier’s on the battle field. This is mentioned in the in the second sentence of the second paragraph “ We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live”. What the President is talking about is the importance of not just remembering the fallen but also reminding the audience of why they died. They died believing in a cause; weather it’s about uniting the country or making two separate

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

The Battle of Gettysburg was fought by the largest number of soldiers, totaling 172,000 young men (“American Civil War”). During the Civil War, our nation was divided by the North (Union Army) and the South (Confederate Army) for opposing viewpoints on slavery and states’ rights. The Battle of Gettysburg was fought over three long, arduous days. The soldiers struggled under their respected generals in a 25 mile battle zone (“American Civil War”). This battle was a triumphant victory and a heart-wrenching loss for the troops of the Yankee North and Rebel South. The complexity of the Battle of Gettysburg brought together two fronts whose decisions and commitment would determine its outcome.

The Battle of Gettysburg was a short lived battle with tremendously tragic amounts of bloodshed and casualties. The physical battle, lasting the short span from July 1st to July 3rd 1863, is considered by many, the most significant and important battle of the American Civil War. Unfortunately what many consider the most significant battle of the American War was also indeed the bloodiest battle fought on American soil. Confidence can be to blame for the outset of this battle and how it began. In May of 1863, the Confederate army leader, Robert E. Lee was fortunate enough in Chancellorsville, Virginia when he and his army claimed the victory against the Army of the Potomac. Lee experienced a high of confidence from the victory, which ultimately

The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the American Civil War because the Confederate morale declined while the Union’s dramatically increased. “I have seen and heard

This battle marked the turning point in the Civil war. When the Union fought on Northern territory, Confederate commander, Robert E. Lee, retreated back into Virginia. As stated in “The Battle of Gettysburg”, “(The Battle of Gettysburg) resulted not only in Lee's retreat to Virginia, but an end to the hopes of the Confederate States of America for independence.”. When this battle was won, the Confederacy no longer had the motivation to fight, which affected the rest of the war. The North hadn’t given up and still had the driving motivation to win the

The Battle of Gettysburg took place in the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. John Buford led Union troops to Gettysburg and when he arrived him and his men were informed that the Southern troops that they were looking for had just left the town. This was the beginning of one of the bloodiest battles in all of history.

This is only two battles in the whole Civil War yet countless lives were lost in each one. These battles were only two months apart. The goal of this paper is to give information on these two Civil War battles Chancelorsville and Gettysburg.

Abraham Lincoln is arguably one of the United States greatest presidents and is well-known for writing one of the most iconic literary pieces in American history, the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is an outstanding 272-word oration, meant to have been a “few appropriate remarks” (Wills), yet it is considered to be one of the greatest speeches ever written, and rightly so. However, Lincoln was not the only one that gave a Gettysburg Address at the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, nor was he “the star of the show” (Emberton). Today, many have forgotten the name of Edward Everett and the importance and value of his Gettysburg Address. Edward Everett was chosen as the main speaker at the ceremony and gave a 2-hour oration, preceding Lincoln’s 2-minute dedicatory remarks, that was highly praised among critics and the audience. Everett’s qualifications, his message within his speech, and his overall purpose have greatly contributed to the value of his Gettysburg Address. Today, it is clear to see that Lincoln’s Address has overshadowed Everett’s Address, but that wasn’t the case in 1863. The question left to answer, should Everett’s Gettysburg Address be considered just as valuable and praiseworthy as Lincoln’s speech?

Extensive efforts have gone into the study of the American Civil War. The reasons for the war and its consequences remain hotly discussed. The Battle of Gettysburg is one of the most famous turning points in history. It was the moment the union was closest to victory. Countless scenarios of alternative history have been won at Gettysburg and thus revolve around allies gaining independence.

In 1863, during the Battle of Gettysburg, many lives were lost. Then President-Abraham Lincoln was given an opportunity to dedicate the ground where the battle was held, to the men who died for their country. The overall message of the speech was to dedicate the grounds to the men who served the country, and to use the effect of the battle to motivate the North to finish what the men started. Lincoln took this opportunity to tell the American people about the Civil War, and how it was affecting the nation. In Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” speech to the people persuaded them by appealing to the emotions of the family members who had lost loved ones during the battles, the American people’s love for their country, and by motivation them to finish the fight.

A few months prior, an estimated 51,000 soldiers either were killed, injured or captured in Gettysburg. In May 1863, Union soldiers held their ground against armies of Confederates. Reinforcements poured in from both sides, adding to the conflict. This was a turning point for the Union army. Eventually, the Union was victorious, but at what cost? President Lincoln was talked

Being the president of the United States of America in the 1860s’ was a doughty task, especially with the country being divided. Throughout the American Civil War, different battles were being fought everyday leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg which was considered the turning point of the Civil War. Lincoln was chosen to deliver this important speech on November 19, 1863 to show thanks for the Union soldiers and dedication of the Soldier’s National Cemetery. The cemetery was for Union soldiers who were killed at the Battle of Gettysburg during the war. Lincoln once said, “the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here. (Lincoln 1)” In today’s society, people remember Lincoln not only as our president, but giving this important three paragraph speech. Lincoln felt that he needed to make a speech to show that the expense of the war had to end with a positive effect which is why the country needed to continue to fight.