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Gettysburg Address Critique Essay

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Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address”: Critique In 1863, the Civil War was still taking place in the United States. 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, to the men who died for their country. Lincoln took this opportunity to tell the American people about the Civil War, and how it was affecting the nation. His speech to the people persuaded the Union by putting the feeling of nationalism with the feeling of independence. The point 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. In the “Gettysburg Address”, Abraham Lincoln talks about the men who risked their lives for their country should be honored and respected for what they did. It is up for the living to honor the brave men, and to finish what the men have started. Lincoln also says that the Civil War will test the limits of the United States, and any other country that is founded on the same guidelines as the United States. Lincoln’s speech is about honoring the dead, how the war will change …show more content…

Lincoln starts out by mentioning that the country was founded on liberty and dedication to what was believed in. This is shown when Lincoln says: “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). Throughout the speech this quote is mentioned often, mostly using words that are synonymous to dedicated. When Lincoln did this, he forced the people to feel nationalistic and proud to live in the country. Lincoln used the original purpose of the dedication ceremony and turned that into a way to make the Union motivated to fight for what they believe

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From the first shots fired at Fort Sumter, the Union went into the war with a determined spirit. Ready to fight for the good of the country, Lincoln vowed to not give up until he succeeded at reuniting once again. Lincoln displayed his fighting spirit on many occasions, including the Gettysburg Address, where he showed the Union's determination to finish this war as the victor. His promises included to fight to honor the brave men who died battling to save the country and government (Document D). The tone in which this speech was delivered provided a sense of determination, and willingness to fight to the Union.

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She writes, "the price we pay is beyond all calculation." Here, Hancock is emphasizing the human cost of the war and the sacrifices made by those who fought and died for their country. Her argument is that the Civil War was a deeply traumatic and costly event, and that the country must honor and remember those who fought and died in it. President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, on the other hand, was a public speech prepared for the nation in the aftermath of a major battle of the Civil War. In his speech, Lincoln argues that the war was fought to preserve the Union and to ensure that "government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

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Lincoln urges the people to “strive on to finish the work we are in,” “to bind up the nation's wounds,” he is trying to get the United Sate Citizens to become one again to unite and be one strong country, showing that even after a huge war that the country can remain strong and unified and that this war will allow for a strong brotherhood in the US. Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address is significant because Lincoln offered and objective point of view. Lincoln did not speak of the unloyalty of the South nor did he praise the North. Rather, Lincoln used multiple points to show that the Unification should be the main focus of his speech not that the states should be divided because of

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" Lincoln's speech is a masterpiece of rhetorical persuasion. He uses ethos by referring to the founding principles of the United States, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution. By referencing these foundational documents, Lincoln established his credibility as a leader and a statesman. He uses logos by arguing that the Civil War was a struggle to preserve the Union and to ensure that "government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Finally, he employs pathos by calling on the emotions of the audience.

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It was given after the Civil War almost as a way to retsore the nation. In the speech Abraham starts off by saying “ Four score and seven years ago” which is significant because that was when the Declaration of Independence was signed and when the colonies gained their freedom fromGreat Britain. He then goes on to say that the founding fathers bulit the nation on liberty and equality for all men, but years later they are fighting to see if its true. He uses atlleration to honor the fallen soliders by saying, “The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.” To conclude, Abraham Lincoln was a hero to many people but to others he was a man with a questionable motive.

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Lincoln say in his speech after the Gettysburg battle, “We are gathered here today to honor the fallen and living who fought here for the freedom of this nation and all.” (Gettysburg Address, Paragraph two sentence two.) Lincoln addresses the crowd at Gettysburg of what the men did and died for so they know that the men didn’t die in vain also what that part of the field was being used for. When the Confederates came to try to steal the Union’s land and supplies, the men rose and fought back not to save their things, but to help defend freedom, since the offense wanted to keep having slaves and wanted more ground and supplies from the Union to win the war while the defence wanted the Confederates to lose so their army could shrink and they could lose the war, and when they lost their slaves and war prisoners would be free to live and choose their lives without the owner’s control. The next similar thing he mentions in his speech was, “It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought her have thus far so nobly advanced.”

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The president also recalls that the audience is gathered together to dedicate the field for the soldiers who gave their lives. Lincoln juxtaposes life and death to the audience to demonstrate the soldier’s ultimate sacrifice by dedicating the field for those who “gave their lives that that nation might live” (Lincoln). The soldier’s died fighting for what they believed so that others might live on to fight another day. He dedicates this field to the fallen soldier’s by juxtaposing in order to emphasize just how dedicated it takes to be a soldier, how willing and brave you must be to risk your life for others and your beliefs. The juxtaposition of this paragraph creates the somber tone of his speech.

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The document influenced the end of the war and perseverance while expressed a need for change, hope, and a need to preserve a government for the people, by the people. It prompted the continuation of a well fought war in an effort to make a stand for a well needed change. These influences prevail in today’s society as well, as the address remains arguably the most-quoted piece of oratory in America’s history. Lincoln refers back to the Constitution and highlights the idea that America was made and “dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” (Lincoln). However, this idea was accepted unanimously.

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Abraham Lincoln in the speech, The Gettysburg Address, constructs a point of achieving a "just and lasting peace" between the North and South without retribution. Lincoln supports his assertion by justifying his beliefs of unity between the states. Lincoln's purpose is to influence the people to not allow what has been done to go to waste. He wants his audience to realize that this division will only persist if no one settles the current issues in society. Lincoln speaks in a sympathizing, determined tone to address the Americans who are mourning the loss of their loved ones and to the rest of Americans who he wants to see a change from.

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The iconic first sentence of the speech states “ Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty” (Lincoln, # ). The event Lincoln is referring to in the

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