Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address Quiz

What historical event was the backdrop for Lincoln's Gettysburg Address?

• The signing of the Declaration of Independence

• The Battle of Gettysburg

• The end of the Revolutionary War

• The drafting of the U.S. Constitution

Answer explanation

The historical event that was the backdrop for Lincoln's Gettysburg Address was The Battle of Gettysburg. He came to the field at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to deliver his speech three months after the battle, during the middle of the Civil War.

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What is the main purpose of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address?

• To declare independence from Britain

• To dedicate a cemetery for soldiers who died in the Civil War

• To announce the end of the Civil War

• To propose a new constitution

Answer explanation

The main purpose of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address was to dedicate a cemetery for soldiers who died in the Civil War in an attempt to unite both the North and the South and help them find common ground.

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What political document is Lincoln referencing when he states that "[f]our score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation" (1)?

• The Declaration of Independence

• The Emancipation Proclamation

• The Constitution

• The Gettysburg Address

Answer explanation

Lincoln is referencing The Declaration of Independence when he states 'four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation"; he is pointing out that the new nation of the United States of America was created at this time by the founding fathers of the country.

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According to Lincoln, what is the nation conceived in?

• Justice

• Equality

• Liberty

• Peace

Answer explanation

According to Lincoln, the nation is "conceived in Liberty" because the founding fathers wanted to make a new country that focused on freedom for its citizens from the British government.

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What phrase does Lincoln use to describe the equality of all men?

• All men are created equal

• Liberty and justice for all

• One nation under God

• Government of the people

Answer explanation

Lincoln uses the phrase 'All men are created equal' to describe the equality of all men; this is a reference to the Declaration of Independence.

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Why does Lincoln open the Gettysburg Address with this line?: "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" (1).

• To highlight the achievements of the current administration

• To establish historical context and remind everyone of why the U.S. wanted to escape British rule

• To showcase his poetic writing skills

• To appeal to a younger audience

Answer explanation

Lincoln is reminding everyone of the country's past by referring to the Declaration of Independence, when the U.S. formally declared that they would break off from Britain. "Four score and seven years ago" identifies the time this was done, and "all men are created equal" is a line from the Declaration. He also references the founding fathers and points out that historically, they made the country to be based in the ideas of freedom, or "liberty," for everyone.

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Lincoln references the Civil War in the second paragraph of his speech and notes that the war is "testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure" (2). What does this mean?

• The quote suggests that the nation will not endure, or survive, due to the Civil War.

• Lincoln is questioning the dedication of the nation, which is split in half, to the war effort.

• It implies that the nation will only endure, or survive, if it wins the war.

• The quote emphasizes the war is a test of whether a country built on equality and freedom can survive.

Answer explanation

"That nation" refers to the U.S. Lincoln is stating that the war shows people are divided over these ideas of equality and freedom, so this war will test whether or not the nation can make it through this.

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What does Lincoln mean when he states, "We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live" (2)?

• Lincoln means they are only going to honor the Union soldiers who died in battle, not the Confederates.

• Lincoln means the Confederate soldiers were secretly fighting to keep the country together, not secede from the Union.

• They are dedicating a portion of the battlefield as a picnic area where the soldiers can also be honored.

• They are dedicating a portion of the battlefield as a graveyard for the soldiers who died fighting for the country.

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Which quotation emphasizes Lincoln's belief that although he is striving to honor the men who died in battle, no words can fully honor them to the extent they deserve?

• "It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this" (2).

• "The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract" (3).

• "It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished word which they who have fought here have thus far so nobly advanced" (3).

• "...[T]hat government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth" (3).

Answer explanation

To "consecrate" means "to make holy or sacred." By stating that his "power to add or detract" is "poor," he is stating that he cannot make this ground any more special than the men who died here already have.

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Why does Lincoln state, "The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here" (3)?

• Actions speak louder than words, and the deeds done at the battlefield will have a lasting impact on history.

• Words are more impactful than actions, so Lincoln's speech will be remembered more.

• The world will forget both what was said and done at the battlefield.

• Lincoln's speech will overshadow the significance of the battlefield actions.

Answer explanation

The people in the world will not place much importance on Lincoln's words, and they will not be able to remember it forever, but the actions of the soldiers at Gettysburg will be unforgettable.

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