The Gettysburg Address, House Divided

Civil War soldiers fought for something more than just manhood, duty, government, and their country. They fought for and against slavery, which for most soldiers was their primary motivation beyond defending their home. Slavery for many was more than just an institution, it was the fabric of their economic society that provided the wealth and opportunity to the South. Without slavery the South could not operate and prosper which made it impossible for the notion of emancipation. However, those in the North did not immediately rely on the institution of slavery in such dire manner.

Though many scholars, such as Seltzer, have noted the antislavery rhetoric purposed the same ideals of the Gettysburg Address (and one could argue, even more meritoriously), this did not mean that Black were looked as equals by the majority of the nation. Seltzer argues that, “By casting his [Wills] interpretation in terms of a narrative of origins, Wills exaggerates the originary force of Lincoln 's Address at the expense of an appreciation for the cultural work of popular groups who were themselves involved in a reevaluation of national ideals through an appeal to the Declaration of Independence long before Gettysburg” (Selzer 126). She then concludes; “Abolitionists were changing in the popular eye from extremists to patriots who tried to

The event known as the Civil War had redefined the means of being a American. The actions that happened during the war helped that because of the conflicts that made the war occur. The South wanted to keep the slaves, but the North wanted the slaves to be gone and for everyone to have basic human rights, which became controversial and problematic. They divided into states, one that wanted to promote the slavery and one who wanted no slavery at all and became anti-slavery, but why did they decide to fight over it?

Yet, this is not the case. The northern abolitionists were certainly trying to end slavery across the United States, but it was not a matter of the state’s right being violated, but the rights of the people trapped in slavery. With people many living in horrendous conditions under the rule of cruel and sadistic masters, with the rest of the people being deprived of their right as Americans and of humans to equality. The states had no right to keep a race of people oppressed and unrepresented. Additionally, the slave revolution was inevitable as the population would simply overpower the white population.

The Civil War and the Gettysburg Address are two of the most major events in American history regarding slavery/racism which are constantly used as a reference to look back at how the country has developed and changed since then. The Civil War and the Gettysburg Address represent an old America with flaws, and although we have undoubtedly changed since then, many people have differing beliefs on how we have changed (either for the better or for the worse). For example, the excerpt by Robert Hicks, from Why the Civil War Still Matters, reflects on America's past attitudes in the War and the Gettysburg Address to emphasize how we have become a more accepting, united, and multiethnic country. On the other hand, the excerpt by Charles M. Blow,

One of the most important wars in American history was the Civil War, it lead to change in beliefs and conviction in our borders. Fought from 1861 to 1865 many constitutional and social developments had to occur for our country to truly be free for everyone. Elections, conspiracies, assassinations, all to bring unity between the North and the South but also leading to a revolution. It pushed the South to rethink their belief that slavery is right and the Union to fight for the freedom that goes with being an American to all races.

The Civil War only exposed the differences that existed between the states of the same country. The United States was a divided country, long before the civil war began. Both had different interests and this contributed to the fact that they decided to separate. One important legacy that the Civil War has left us, were the abolition of slavery; even when at the time we live in today, there is still racism and discrimination. The abolition of slavery helped slaves to be physically free, but it takes so much work to get freedom in their civil rights.

One of the most famous speeches in American history, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, was intended to be a dedication speech for a national cemetery at the Gettysburg Battlefield. However, through his use of choice words and phrases, Lincoln unwittingly created a "call-to-action" in regards to preserving the Union. Lincoln began his speech by focusing on words from the Declaration of Independence; that all men are created equal. President Lincoln reiterated the fact that this was the founding principle on which our country's creation was based.

The American Civil War was a war fought in the US between the North and the South from 1861 to 1865. People have debated on the reasons for this war for a long time, but there are more reasons than one would think. While slavery is sometimes thought to be the only cause for the American Civil War and sectionalism of the United States, other things like the Industrial movement and Abolitionism had a big impact on why the war was fought. The Industrial movement was when America started mass producing different commodities while needing a lot of labor too. Slaves in the South started getting tired and sick of being owned and forced to do work, and decided they would rather die and kill a few of their owners than keep in the labor.

The American Civil War changed Americans and their ideals about freedom in many ways. Northern and Southern United states began to have simmering tensions for the states’ rights versus federal authority, plus westward expansion, and slavery had huge effects on the states. An election which made anti-slavery Republican Abraham Lincoln the president of the United States of America in 1860, caused seven of the southern states to concede from the Union to make The Confederate States Of America soon after four more joined afterwards. It changed Americans in many ways as neighbors fought each other through the 4 gruesome years of the war. Conflict between the sides were like fights between brother and brother instead with many deaths.

The Civil War is identified as the first modern war in American history; this war was historic in many different aspects. No war in previous history had two armies of such great magnitude confront each other on the same battle field, armed with deadly and more accurate weapons. Furthermore, the casualties in this war were immense in comparison to anything our country had experienced as both fighting sides were made up of Americans. Lastly, politics played a large part in this war; political leaders had the difficult task of "[mobilizing] economic resources" and continually motivate society to fight.

The civil war had a very profound effect on America and what it has become today. With the civil war many changes took place such as 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment. Women’s rights were put forth into motion. Along with Reconstruction laws being passes and the push back that these laws caused. During this time the south became even more divided and started to take things into account and create their own laws in regards to racism.

Abraham Lincoln was the speaker of the Gettysburg address. The Gettysburg address was delivered on November nineteenth, of eighteen sixty-three. It was delivered after the battle of Gettysburg. It was about our country, how it’s growing and developing, yet undergoing hard times: how it was developed and was made to be what it was back then and what it is today. The Gettysburg address’ audience was intended by Abraham Lincoln to be the entire nation, despite the fact he said this speech may not be very popular later on into the future.

The “Gettysburg Address”, written by Abraham Lincoln, was a speech delivered at the dedication of the cemetery at Gettysburg. Lincoln is communicating with the people to pay a tribute to the dead soldiers while trying to bring the people and country together and to brighten their futures. Lincoln uses a hopeful, yet serious tone to accomplish this. Lincoln uses strong diction and syntax, along with other rhetorical strategies to convey his message. Lincoln’s serious diction urges the reader to take action.

As famously expressed by Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address, the American government is “of the people, by the people, for the people”. In accordance with this viewpoint, the government serves the needs of the citizens based on the principals captured in the US Constitution and the Amendments. The Constitution thus functions as a foundation of the free society, restricting the executive and legislative branches of the government from encroaching on the rights of the American citizens. The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution limits the powers of the federal government by stating that “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the