The Gettysburg Address Analysis

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The orator of “The Gettysburg Address” was the illustrious Abraham Lincoln. He delivered the speech at the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery during his presidency on November 19, 1863 in the midst of the Civil War. His purpose for writing the speech was to remind the Americans of their values to devote themselves to defending them as he commemorated the Union soldiers who sacrificed their lives for unity during the bloody Battle of Gettysburg. For instance, the first paragraph in his speech reads, “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” (149). Therefore, he wanted to express the principles of …show more content…
Moreover, they have established a sense of respect for him and admiration. He also developed a sense of trust between the audience and himself. For instance, “Now we are engaged in a great civil war” (149), stated Lincoln. He is implying that the Americans, including himself, are a part of the same battle. In addition, “The world will little note, nor remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here” (149), appeals to the audience sense of reason. Americans would agree that the battlefield could not be consecrated well than by anyone but those who fought there considering that soldiers’ blood remain on the battlefield. Lincoln stated, “shall have a new freedom; and that government of the people, shall not perish from the earth” (149), appeals to the audience sense of reason because it is informing them that if they do not fight, their nation’s freedom will diminish. Lincoln used deductive reasoning to evoke his claim that equality and liberty are worth fighting for. He wants his audience to know that if equality and liberty are the values that soldiers fought and died for; they are values worthy of continuing the fight for.

To conclude, the great orator, Abraham Lincoln, indirectly states the assumption that fighting or dying for what you believe in is