A Man of Few Words: Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Adress

To many, Abraham Lincoln is known as a man of few words. This thought may come from the fact that one of his most important speeches, the Gettysburg Address, also happened to be one of his shortest ever written. It is in fact one of best remembered short speeches given throughout history. In its entirety the passage consists of a meager 272 words. Lincoln is also known for the great trials and tribulations he faced throughout his short presidency, such as the American Civil War and more notably the Battle of Gettysburg, the very ground his speech was used to commemorate. Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1809 to a very poor and little known Kentucky family. When he was young, both his mother and several of his siblings died. Because of this, Abraham Lincoln was urged to find work to help support his family. Lincoln’s education became less and less important due to these added factors and schooling was pushed out to the picture for most of his childhood. His total formal education amounted to approximately 18 months of schooling. While he attempted to balance farm work, wood splitting, and shop keeping, he managed to teach himself many of the skills he would require for adulthood. Though it is believed that both of his parents, his father and step-mother, were “illiterate”, Lincoln took to reading like a fish to water. It is said that he would, “walk for miles to borrow a book.” At the age of 22, Lincoln decided to separate from his family and become independent. In this time he fought in the Black Hawk War, ran for state legislature, served as US Representative, and taught himself law and was admitted to the bar. In 1860 he ran for president and eventually won. During his presidency, he was faced with southern secession, which eventually led to the Civil War. The American Civil War was centered on the idea of slavery. Lincoln wished to isolate and even end slavery through the words penned in the Declaration of Independence. The southern states, on the other hand, believed that the abolition of slavery would lead to their downfall and destroy their livelihood. This dispute with the south lasted an agonizing four years. The turning point of the war began June 30, 1863. This date marks the prelude to the Battle of Gettysburg. This is known as one of the most brutal, and most costly in terms of lives lost, of all the battles within the Civil War. This five day battle was fought in the small town of Gettysburg, PA between Generals George Meade, Union, and Robert E. Lee, Confederate. The battle ended on Independence Day, July 4,1863 with victory going to the Union. The day before Lee had, much to his demise, sent a charge through a large and unprotected field. Many men involved in this treacherous charge retreated in fear or were wounded by the enemy. Because of the number of casualties, Lee was forced to retreat with his men. Soon after this battle Lee surrendered to Union and Lincoln to reunite the shattered nation. There were over 51,000 wounded, missing, or dead within this war alone. Lincoln had a heavy task at hand. In November of 1863, Abraham Lincoln was invited to speak at an event at the Site of the Battle of Gettysburg. That day he was to follow Edward Everett, the main orator of the day. Everett gave a two-hour-long speech “comparing the Civil War heroes to Greek gods.” When Lincoln reaches the stage he delivers his short but impactful Gettysburg Address. Through this he explains the price that the Civil War soldiers paid for, what Lincoln thought, a battle of freedom. He tells that the nation can never match the “devotion” of those who fought. Lincoln reveals that those fallen men left great “tasks” for the rest of the nation. These tasks were to band together and reunite the country. This address, following a two hour oration, lasted only two minutes. When Lincoln finished the crowd was confused that he had given such a powerful message in such a short time. Because of the length of this passage, the Gettysburg Address was often mocked and belittled following its conclusion. After Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, the people began to take the speech seriously and it is still honored and remembered today. The Gettysburg Address and legacy of President Abraham Lincoln live on today. Lincoln, “A man of few words” presented one of the most important and shortest orations in history. It is remembered today both because of the impact it had on the weak nation and because one of America’s greatest presidents gave it. This 272 word speech presented the idea of reuniting the nation and moving from “the United States were” to “the United States are.” Lincoln used this to pull America back together. For these reasons, the Gettysburg Address, along with Abraham Lincoln, is remembered and respected today.