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Kevin Deam Lori Bedell CAS 137H Section 8 2 October 2012 Gettysburg Address Analysis Seven score and nine years ago, Abraham Lincoln, our sixteenth President of the United States of America, set off for Gettysburg in order to consecrate Gettysburg National Cemetery. In an uncharacteristically short speech-at least for the 1860s-Lincoln was able to reaffirm the values our Founding Fathers had laid down in the Declaration of Independence as well as the Constitution. Lincoln believed that the Civil War would soon end with a Union victory, but wanted the country to know that a unified United States, built upon classic American ideals, was the only way the nation could move forward successfully. Being a masterful speaker, Lincoln utilized ethos, pathos, and logos to sway the audience into giving their last full measure of devotion and take up the burden of the fallen soldiers, ensuring a vision of a unified United States where freedom and democracy would be the rule for all citizens. Seeking only to honor the dead and inspire the living, Lincoln ended up delivering one of the most powerful speeches in American-if not world-history. The Gettysburg Address hoped to heal some wounds despite the new ones being wrought every day with each drop of American blood spilled. It was delivered on November 19th, 1863, and although the exact location of the delivery is still debated, most experts agree the speeches that day were delivered in Evergreen Cemetery, close by Gettysburg National Cemetery

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(National Park Service). President Lincoln was under enormous stress that day, as the United States was in the midst of the most deadly conflict in its history, one that tried the ties of family and national unity. However, due to decisive victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg some months before, the war had begun to turn in the Unions favor. Lincoln needed to assure Union citizens that relief from this exigency and their years of grief and sacrifice would be at hand, while justifying why their sacrifices were being made. His line of, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom-and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth. (Lincoln, Abraham) painted a picture in which the United States would be united once more, moving towards a future where all men were seen as equals. The ethos of President Lincoln and the Union came into effect before the audience even heard the speech. Lincoln had to gain the trust and respect of the people in order to be elected to the office of President, so his character had been scrutinized by the public. His established ethos as the President, especially in times of trouble, gave additional weight to his words. In addition, the Emancipation Proclamation gave the Union the invented ethos of fighting to end slavery and ensure equality among men on its side, along with fighting to preserve the United States. This gave President Lincoln the support he needed to win the 1864 nomination, and made the Union seem morally superior to the Confederacy, which prevented foreign powers-namely Great Britain, who had been petitioned for recognition and support by the Confederate States of America-from interfering with the Civil War. Despite these factors, there were some constraintsfueled by political tensions-that diluted the message of the Address. One major constraint was the fact that Lincoln was the President of the Union, so his established ethos would be lost upon the Confederate states and people. Any words he may direct to them-other than we surrenderwould surely be ignored or not taken into serious consideration, so Lincoln lost some of his

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intended audience. Furthermore, reactions to the Gettysburg Address were split along party lines, with the Democratic-leaning Chicago Times ripping into the Gettysburg Address (Sandburg, Carl 445). In contrast, the Springfield Republican declared it would, repay further study as the model speech. (Prochow, Herbert Victor 17). The division between the Republican and Democrat parties threatened to fracture the North, the very thing Lincoln was trying to prevent through the Address. These constraints ignored Lincolns ethos, and detracted from the message of unity he proclaimed, slowing the easing of tensions as the war dragged on. The Gettysburg Address was created for the consecration of Gettysburg National Cemetery, a somber and emotional event. Lincoln used the pathos, or emotional appeal, of the speech to inspire his audience into enduring further suffering of the Civil War as they took up the burden of the fallen soldiers. The language and grammar of the speech was meant to create a sense of unity despite the troubling times, as seen by Lincolns exclusive use of plural pronouns, like we, our, and us, throughout. The lack of singular pronouns tied into the message of unity, as it was intended for all Americans, not just Northerners or Southerners. The speech gave the air that all citizens could work together as one, moving towards a common goal of a better United States. Lincoln was President of a broken nation, but still hoped for a peaceful unification, was willing to forgive the Confederacy, and instead work on rebuilding the United States. He understood that the war affected Americans on both sides of the conflict, not just the Union troops he had come to memorialize. He was able to turn the consecration of the cemetery around, declaring to his audience, The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detractIt 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. (Lincoln, Abraham). The pathos used here intended to make citizens of the Union

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fully dedicate themselves towards reunifying under American commonplaces that are taken for granted, such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, liberty and justice for all, freedom, and democracy. These ideals and principles dated back to the Founding Fathers, and had a place in the heart of the American people. Invoking them in the Gettysburg Address gave Lincoln and the Union the spirit and support it needed to persevere through one of the darkest times in the history of the United States. The Gettysburg Address used various forms of logos to get its message across, including the format of the speech, deduction, and networks of interpretation. Lincoln styled the Gettysburg Address in a fairly chronological order, opening with the famous, 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. (Lincoln, Abraham) that harkened back to the founding of the United States with the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. Next, he referred to both the Gettysburg Cemetery and battlefield in the present when he says, We are met on a great battle-field of that war. 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. (Lincoln, Abraham). After summing up the task laid before the Union-continuing the fight for freedom and unity-Lincoln finished with his vision of a future American nation that, shall have a new birth of freedom-and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. (Lincoln, Abraham). The transitions from past, to present, to future gave the Gettysburg Address a logical and organized flow by which Lincoln was able to elegantly frame his points and ideas for the future-both immediate and distant-of the United States.

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One such point Lincoln introduced was the premise that equality for all men must exist for the United States to be true to the words of its founders. He used deduction to build his case, starting with the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution from the opening lines of the Address, which stated that all men were created equal. However, when juxtaposed to the Emancipation Proclamation and Civil War, these words seemed hollow, and noted how some men were not seen as equals to others, and in fact were being enslaved by their equal brethren. Lincoln acknowledged this fact, but reiterated the principles and values of the United States that should embody the government with the famous closing line of, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedomand that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. (Lincoln, Abraham). By doing so, Lincoln challenged the United States to change its network of interpretation concerning the words of its revered founders, and declare that all men-regardless of color-are, in fact, equal. Backing down from this challenge and continuing to refute Lincolns premise would be to admit that the nation is built upon hypocrisy. Although President Lincoln was killed before he could see the fruits of the Civil Wars peace, his logos was eventually proved correct with the additions of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, which abolished slavery, set the standards for citizenship, and guaranteed the right of suffrage regardless of race, respectively. President Lincolns use of rhetorical devices gave the Gettysburg Address its powerful yet elegant message that still resonates today, in the United States he dreamed of. His use of commonplaces, deduction, and juxtaposition allowed him to address the exigency of the divisive Civil War, and instill a sense of hope in the citizens of the nation. His ethos as President of the United States graced the Gettysburg Address with the attention it needed to reach the intended audience, the citizens. The pathos used through the wording of the speech and the event it was

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delivered at led to a message of unity, and answers to the difficult question of, why are we fighting? Finally, President Lincolns use of logos painted a clear picture of what the United States should look like after the Civil War, and through deduction also made the case for equality for men of all races. These factors, along with the long-term outcomes of the speech itself, mark the Gettysburg Address as one of the most memorable speeches ever delivered.

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Works Cited Lincoln, Abraham. Gettysburg Address. Evergreen Cemetery. Gettysburg. 19 Nov. 1863. Speech. National Park Service. National Cemetery Walking Tour. Retrieved 12 June 2012. Prochow, Herbert Victor, Great Stories from Great Lives, Harper & Brothers, 1944, p. 17. Sandburg, Carl Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years and the War Years, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2002, p. 445.