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Thesis For The Gettysburg Address

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The Gettysburg Address by President Abraham Lincoln
President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was made on the November 19, 1863 as part of a dedication ceremony for the National Cemetery of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. Although he was not the key note speaker that day, he made what is now one of the most important speeches in American history (History.com, 2010). Reflecting on what the Civil War stands for and persuading the people to continue the work of the fallen soldiers.

The Gettysburg Address
President Lincolns speech was so important at the time because he wanted to make clear that the Declaration of Independence was what the founding fathers affirmed when it was “dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” (Lincoln, 1863, para.1). There were slave owners, at the time, which indicated that the Constitution did condone slavery, therefore allowing the act. President Lincoln’s speech made it clear that this was not the case. …show more content…

Lincoln stated “Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure” (Lincoln, 1863, para.2).
President Lincoln proceeds his speech with the notion that it was not appropriate for one to dedicate a memorial site, as the fallen soldiers who fought have already dedicated the area with their lives. Lincoln states “we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow, this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our power to add or detract (Lincoln, 1863, para.3). The ground was already sacred in his eyes, it was up to the nation now to continue the “unfinished work” (Lincoln,

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