During the Battle of Gettysburg, Confederates suffered innumerable loses. After the battle, Confederates were estimated to have lost 34 percent …show more content…
After Gettysburg, Lincoln made an address to his constituents. He stated, “Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure” (Doc. D). By saying this Lincoln is essentially stating that, with this battle, they now have something to prove to the world. Since the United States is such a young nation experiencing this problem, many other nations view them as weak and unable to maintain their open political system. Lincoln helped to rally the Union behind the idea that they have to go and show the world that Americans don’t quit and will always uphold the ideals America was founded upon. Another cause that the Union rallied behind was a more moral dilemma. Once Lincoln voices the belief that, “this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom” (Doc. D), it becomes apparent that he intends for slavery to be abolished. The new birth he is speaking of is the soon to be newly established freedom for slaves. Many Union citizens had no interest in the war prior to this moment because they viewed it as a waste of time to for the South to be forced into staying. However, now that Lincoln has brought up a moral issue, the North feels a moral obligation to maintain freedom by defeating the South, and in turn, their idea of slavery. Without Gettysburg occurring, Lincoln would not have had the event or venue to deliver this