The United States thought freedom was independence from Britain, but issues such as slavery, human rights and the true meaning of freedom came along starting the Civil War around 1862. Then after winning the battle, the definition of freedom in the country changed again for the better. One of the way the Civil War shaped America was ending slavery. It became illegal in the South after war, allowing African Americans to be free, and this ended up giving them about the same amount of freedom a lot of white Americans had. For example,a former slave Sojourner Truth, gave an empowering speech called Ain't I A Woman. Truth talks about women's and African American rights, she states “Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me!” and later in her speech she also mentions “I have gave birth to …show more content…
In Lincoln's speech Gettysburg Address which was given after the war, dedicated to all the fallen soldiers, he mentions “We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who gave their lives that that nation might live.” (Gettysburg Address; Paragraph 2) This shows that Lincoln emphasizes the fact that soldiers have died for slavery to end in the south and he wants to honor the fallen ones. So the least that can be done is dedicate the land to the soldiers because they changed the course of history. Lincoln also mentions that the people that have fought should not die without a purpose, and the new nation should have total freedom. (Gettysburg Address; Paragraph 3) Also showing that, soldiers have fought and gave their lives to give complete independence to the new nation, so all of the soldiers have died for a good cause. And all of the lives that were lost will be remembered. In summary, the Civil war was used to honor the fallen soldiers, letting them stay in the minds of the