The Gettysburg Address

br The Gettysburg Address The Gettysburg Address Although the Gettysburg address was written and delivered by President Abraham Lincoln while the Civil War was still ongoing , the speech itself yearns toward the reconciliation of the opposing sides and seeks to find the common ground which can bind a disparate people together under the banner of democracy . The opening line of the speech makes clear that America shares a single heritage , a shared experience and shared "parents " which means , of course , the founders of the country "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 this statement was volatile during the age of the Civil War , specifically because slavery was still being practiced in the South however , Lincoln 's reminder that all of us share a common "parentage " and that every American is a vital part of the American democracy is as relevant today as it was on the day the speech was given

Another key aspect of the Gettysburg Address which seems quite relevant for today 's world is the idea that sacrifice be made for a purpose and that the purpose of sacrifice be honored "It is for us the living , rather , to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced . It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion " and this ringing declaration of national ride and unity could be no more important to the Civil War era than it is for our own time . As America now faces a prolonged war on foreign soil and must bear the burden of those who have given their lives to fight for freedom , it is important that Lincoln 's admonishment that we live up to the sacrifice of those who defended America and democracy be taken in earnest...