Gettysburg Address Rhetoric

The Battle of Gettysburg was a horrendous tragedy that took the lives of 51,000 union and confederate soldiers. Sensing that the battle marked a turning point in the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln decided to address the nation at the battlefield. He gave a speech titled "The Gettysburg Address" in which he used compelling ethical and emotional appeals to successfully inspire the citizens of the union to continue fighting the civil war. The President uses terms such as "hallow" and "consecrate” as a means of appealing to the citizens' religious beliefs, which at the time were a central part of one's personal values. Since the majority of people present to hear the speech were Christian, Lincoln's references to religion make for a powerful ethical appeal in that he invoked a set of shared values.
To remind his listeners of their common national heritage, Lincoln uses the possessive when referring to the founding fathers as "our fathers". By invoking the shared historical memory of the revered men who founded the United States, Lincoln was able to call for national unity by reminding his fellow citizens of their national past and common civic values. This proved to be an effective ethical appeal because it subtly called attention to democratic ideals, such as the notion that all men are created equal.
Lincoln uses language such as "dead," "died," "life," "living," "birth," and "perish" to emphasize the emotion and finality of dying in battle, and he notes how the nation will have a "new birth of freedom" if the Union prevails and unites the country. By honoring the fallen soldiers for giving "the last full measure of devotion" for the country, Lincoln gives the living citizens the responsibility of ensuring that the soldiers--their friends, family, and neighbors--will not have died in