Gettysburg Address Content

Gettysburg Address 

July 1-3, 1863

Major turning point in the Civil War for many reasons:

Shifting Momentum

The Battle of Gettysburg shifted momentum back to the North as they were victorious in this battle.

Furthest North

Gettysburg, PA was the furthest north that the Confederate Army had been able to reach during the war.

Casualties in the Battle

The losses suffered during this battle greatly affected the rest of the war; General Lee was never able to launch another major attack. 

In just two days, 5,300 Union Soldiers were killed with another 17,000 wounded and 27,000 Confederate soldiers killed or wounded.

Multiple Choice

Who won the Battle of Gettysburg?

• The North

• The South

Multiple Choice

Why was General Lee unable to launch another attack against the North?

• The North's army was too strong

• He was tired

• The South had lost too many soldiers in the Battle of Gettysburg

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of a Union cemetery at Gettysburg. 

Lincoln gave this 10 sentence speech in the midst of a civil war whose deepest cause was the institution of slavery

This speech is his most famous defense of equality for all

This speech contains three paragraphs. Each paragraphs increases in length and refer to vital time periods and actors.

1st Paragraph: The Past

"Four-score and seven years ago"
"Our Fathers"
30 words

Second Paragraph: The Present

Explains who the Union is fighting against in this Civil War

Mainly, Lincoln hits on who we are, right here and right now, met on a great battlefield of that war and who, fittingly and properly, have come to dedicate a portion of the battlefield to.

73 words

3rd Paragraph: The future

How our future looks in relation to our present and our past

Lincoln contrasts "the brave men" who fought and died with "us the living" and moving from:
A. Our inability through speech to dedicate ground better consecrated by the deeds of the brave men
B. "Us the living" dedicating ourselves to the great task remaining before us.
C. To "we here highly resolv[ing]" to win the war, to that...
D. certain great things will follow, both for this nation ('a new birth") and also for people everywhere.
169 words

Lincoln's Last Sentence

Nearly half of the words from his last paragraph are in the last sentence.

Lincoln wanted to inspire his listeners, "us the living", that were experiencing loss and grief, "to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced," to "the great task remaining before us," namely, victory in the war and the restoration of the Union.

Multiple Choice

What does the Gettysburg Address begin with?

• "Our Fathers"

• "Our Brothers"

• "Four-score and Seven Years ago"

• "On July 1st, 1863"

Multiple Choice

What does the 2nd Paragraph talk about?

• America's past

• America's present

• America's future

Multiple Choice

Which Paragraph is the longest in Gettysburg Address?

• 1st Paragraph

• 2nd Paragraph

• 3rd Paragraph

Multiple Choice

Lincoln described "the great task before us" as winning the war and....

• Ending slavery in America

• Restoring the Union

• Rebuilding the economy

Multiple Choice

What does the Gettysburg Address begin with?

• "Our Fathers"

• "Our Brothers"

• "Four-score and Seven Years ago"

• "On July 1st, 1863"