On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address during the dedication ceremony of the new national cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to honor the Union solidiers slain in one of the bloodiest battels of the Civil War. At least this is what we have been taught.
One of the most perplexing issues facing historians is when the president wrote the speech. Did he dash it off in the last minute or did he prepare it in advance?
Historians also disagreed on the purpose of the speech. Was it propaganda to help the Republicans win the next election? Or, was it meant to heal the divided nation?
Why did Lincoln choose "Four score and seven years ago" (1776) the year that the Declaration of Independence was signed, rather than three score and sixteen years ago (1787) the year that the Constitution was completed?
His attitude towards slavery also drew controversy. He insisted that "all men are created equal." But, he didn't agree with the Southerners who regarded their slaves as property. At the same time he was not an abolishinist.
Finally, why did the Gettysburg Address become such an important part of the nation's heritage? The speech took less than three minutes and above all, Lincoln was not the main speaker.
As we travel back in time to find the possible answers to these questions, we will find why history is such an exciting adventure.
Sources: Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
Four Score and More
Barbara Silberdick Feinberg
Twenty-First Century Books
Brookfield, Connecticut
http://www.millbrookpress.com/
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