Gettysburg Address

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln gave one of the most memorable speeches that any President has ever given, The Gettysburg Address. In the midst of a Civil War in a country whose freedom is at stake, he brought together a nation for the good of the people and gave them a task to continue on past this troubling time.

1. Suspend Judgment - "...conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." Lincoln states that he does not judge anyone no matter what side they are on, race or religion. He is a firm believer in ending slavery and you have to be a nation as a whole to get past this time period. The free world is divided against each other and he needs to bring them together. Everyone who has fought, gave there lives for the good of the people no matter what side they are on.

2. Define significant parts - The main focus of the speech is what the future holds for the people of the free world, but it is our task and duty to make that future a bright one. This war is in our past and it is how we move forth from this is the most important thing for our nation.

3. Make the Implicit Explicit - Lincoln implies what he is trying to say, he states that they have devoted there lives for the good of the nation and now it is for us to carry out the same devotion, we dedicate the ground they fought on but more importantly we remember what they fought for, our future and the free world.

4. Look for Patterns - Lincoln forms a pattern of dedication from the men who fought for the country. To move forward from the civil war we need to dedicate our lives for the better of the nation. Everything that we do as a nation is "...by the people, for the people.."

5. Re-formulating Questions - Where can we as a nation start in this journey moving forth from such a troubling time? Can the people of the nation put there trust into Lincoln, that he will lead them out of the dark times? Is it ultimately up to us, like our forefathers did so many years before to create such a strong nation once again or can the people we do put our trust in guide us to the light?