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The Gettysburg Address Analysis

Decent Essays

The American Civil War consisted of much loss and a significantly divided nation; however, it also served as an opportunity for President Lincoln to remind the people of their nation’s foundation of equality and unity. He gave this reminder through the “Gettysburg Address,” which even today remains a strong example of the values that the forefathers of the United States founded the nation on. The context of this speech was during a time of bloodshed and hatred, which portrays how it was a turning point in the history of the United States. The civil war is perhaps one of the most defining events in the United States’ history, as it was a test for how the nation would be perceived. Fortunately, in just 272 words, Lincoln brilliantly and movingly, reminded the disillusioned public why the Union had to fight and win the Civil War, and about a much bigger picture that was of concern: freedom and equality.
The American Civil war began due to uncompromising differences between the free and slave states and the government’s ability to prohibit slavery in territories that were not yet deemed as states. At this time, Abraham Lincoln won the 1860 election as the first Republican president whose platform revolved around keeping slavery out of the territories. As a result, seven slave states seceded despite Lincoln and his administration not believing in succession as legitimate. The states that seceded were in the Deep South, who formed the Confederate States of America. However,

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