Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

It is impossible to understand Lincoln at Gettysburg without going over Lincoln's Gettysburg's Address, which is reproduced in the Summary section of this paper. The brief 272-word speech is considered one of the foremost documents of American history. It is a concise summary of the ideals of the United States of America and justifies the Civil War by maintaining that it was a test of American ideals. The speech is notable for what it does not mention: slavery, the South, the Emancipation and other important issues of the time. Wills argues Lincoln omitted these issues deliberately so that the Address would be universal and timeless.

The Battle of Gettysburg

This was the most important and most famous battle of the Civil War. This battle, the turning point of the Civil War, occurred over a three-day period, July 1-3, 1863. General Robert E. Lee decided to invade...