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Civil Rights Essay

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Submitted By bpayne3
Words 1521
Pages 7
April 27th, 2014

Political Science

American Government

Civil Rights Essay

On November 19, 1863 Abraham Lincoln made a speech known as the Gettysburg Address to multiple people to address the public. Lincoln’s comments that day, however, embraced only a brief moment in the cemetery’s dedication. Lincoln attempted to give meaning to the events at Gettysburg, indeed to the Civil War itself, by speaking about the principles for which he believed the Union stood. Lincoln states that our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the intention that all men are created equal. Then on another note goes into stating that we are now in a great Civil War which is testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so devoted, can long tolerate. He wants to make notice that we are not on a great battle-field of that war, because we have come to dedicate a portion of that field as not for war but more for a final resting place; a resting place for those who gave their lives that the nation might live.

Lincoln wants people to realize that our fathers have said that we are all men created in equal, which means we should be as a whole. In 1776, the United States was a new country with a different kind of political philosophy. It was known as “The Great Experiment” because it ventured into new ground and no one knew if such a government could survive. Lincoln testes the idea whether the united States were founded on liberty and equality could survive. What was at stake was not merely lives, or money, or government control, but the actual foundations upon which the United States was founded upon.

Making note to his speech and his audience he wants it to be clear that the words were said were merely only words and not as important as what the soldiers gave in the battle. Even though others are there to

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