American Voices: The Power of Words Sample Thesis and Outline I. Introduction/Thesis Statement “It is a flat failure and the people are disappointed,” remarked Abraham Lincoln in November of 1863 (“Lincoln’s” 1). These humble words of self-assessment were used by Lincoln to describe what many consider the 242 most important words uttered in American history, his “Gettysburg Address.” The Union victory at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 4, 1863, helped to turn the tide of the Civil War; the speech that Abraham Lincoln gave to dedicate a cemetery to the Gettysburg fallen several months later is also considered a turning point. Lincoln’s remarks were a re-interpretation of the Declaration of Independence and a far-sighted vision of what America eventually became: a country in which all are considered equal. Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” was inspired in part by the providential timing of the Gettysburg victory, but also by his own sense of loss, both in his private and public life. However, at the time many Americans did not view Lincoln as a sympathetic figure; the historical context of the “Gettysburg Address” was a time of danger and crisis for both Lincoln and the Union. Despite the military success at the Battle of Gettysburg, Lincoln’s presidency was mired in controversy and he was not even the event’s featured speaker that November afternoon. Regardless of this negative context, and of what would eventually be the divided reaction to his words at the time, Lincoln’s short speech has remained in America’s collective memory. The “Gettysburg Address” is a speech whose structure, diction, and use of repetition underscore a thesis that Americans still cling to today: that the sacrifices made by those who die for this country preserve its freedom and its government that is “of the people, by the people, and for the people” (Lincoln 1). II. Analysis of Speaker/Author A. The July 4,1863, victory at the Battle of Gettysburg inspired Lincoln’s remarks. 1. After learning of the victory, he told a crowd gathered outside of the Executive Mansion that there was clear a connection between the timing of the battle and the meaning the country was to extract from it. a. He felt obligated to explain the meaning of the deaths to the war effort and America’s larger sense of purpose. b. He also felt that there was a connection between the sacrifices made by the soldiers and the country’s freedom celebrated on Independence Day. 2. He began to write speeches about Gettysburg in the summer of 1863 that were drafts for the November address. 3. The allusions to the Declaration of Independence in this speech signal to some scholars how Lincoln was inspired by Transcendentalists. a. the “ideal” of “all men are created equal” b. Lincoln’s law partner, Herndon, was an avid reader of a prominent Transcendentalist, Theodore Parker. B. Abraham Lincoln had experienced loss privately and publicly that motivated him to speak to grieving mothers and fathers at the Gettysburg cemetery dedication.
1. The Lincoln family had lost their four-year old son Eddie to tuberculosis in 1850 while Lincoln was practicing law in Springfield, Illinois. 2. In the midst of the Civil War, the Lincoln family lost a second son, elevenyear old Willie, to typhoid fever. 3. Lincoln had witnessed the horrors of the Civil War first hand on several occasions and was greatly troubled by the suffering he witnessed. III. Analysis of Historical Context A. Lincoln’s presidency was one of personal danger. 1. Even before taking office, Lincoln’s life had been threatened. a. The Pinkerton Detective Agency provided him with guards. b. He had to disguise himself and hide on the train to his inauguration. 2. He traveled while flanked by guards everyday. 3. A trip to the cemetery dedication was one in which no one could guarantee his safety. B. Lincoln’s presidency was one of controversy. 1. His first administration had seen a growing constitutional crisis. a. Lincoln had suspended the right of habeas corpus. b. Lincoln was considered a tyrant by some, especially for detaining over 800 people without being charged. 2. Many in the North rejected conscription into the military. a. Anti-draft riots broke out in northern cities because poor men were most often drafted. b. African Americans were often victims of this violence, especially after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. c. People also resented and were suspicious of Lincoln’s personal ties and consequently Lincoln found himself threatened. 1. Lincoln’s own son, Robert, was exempt from the draft because he was in college. 2. Many of Mary Todd Lincoln’s relatives fought for the Confederacy. C. The occasion for Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” was the dedication of the Gettysburg Cemetery on November 19, 1863. 1. The cemetery dedication that day was marked by the graphic display of stacked coffins, shallow graves, and sometimes partially reburied war dead. 2. Edward Everett, the country’s most noted orator, was chosen to be the featured speaker. a. Everett spoke for two hours. b. His speech was a moment-by-moment recounting of the Battle of Gettysburg’s carnage. 3. Lincoln was invited to make remarks, but no one thought he would actually attend.
IV.
Summary and Rhetorical Analysis of the “Gettysburg Address” A. What Lincoln did not say in this speech is surprising. a. He did not utter the names of generals, soldiers, or slavery and he did not make any specific references to the Battle of Gettysburg itself. b. His thesis was implied: that the Civil War was being fought to secure the ideals spelled out by the America’s founders. B. The “Gettysburg Address” has a three-part structure that underscores its meaning. 1. The first part, following “four score and seven years ago...” is about the past, especially the founding of the nation. 2. The next six sentences, beginning with “Now we are engaged in a great civil war…” focus on the sacrifice of soldiers on the battlefield. 3. The final three sentences of the speech are about the future and the task ahead for the country: to realize the ideals of the founders. C. The speech uses contrasting images of life and death to emphasize the idea that Lincoln was marking the occasion to secure the ideal spelled out in the Declaration of Independence. 1. “…those who here gave their lives that the nation might live.” 2. That from “these honored dead” there will be a “new birth of freedom.” D. The speech uses repetition and parallel structure in the last section to underscore its meaning and to build to the ending climax. 1. “we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow this ground.” a. emphasizes the idea that the soldiers’ sacrifices, not the words of politicians, were crucial to preserving the country’s freedom and government. 2. repeated use of “that” in the final sentence helps to build up to the climax of the memorable quote. E. The choice of words/diction that Lincoln used shows his intent to sway his audience with words and phrases that evoke emotions. 1. “conceived in Liberty” 2. “the world…can never forget what they did here.” 3. The use of absolute words such as “death, “live,” “never forget” and “new birth of freedom” denotes patriotism and a love of one’s country, but also that this love is unifying and final. F. Lincoln’s idea of equality marks the most memorable quotation from the speech: “… 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.”
V.
Analysis of the Consequences and Effects of the “Gettysburg Address” A. Short-term 1. The audience interrupted his speech with applause at least five times, fell silent at the end, and then began extended applause. 2. Newspapers at the time reacted according to the political divisions of the time.
a. Those newspapers that supported Lincoln, such as the Chicago Tribune, felt the remarks were groundbreaking. b. Those newspapers that were critical of Lincoln felt that his address was too short and unremarkable. c. Edward Everett himself wrote Lincoln to tell him how he thought Lincoln’s address far surpassed his own long speech. 3. Lincoln’s re-election campaign in 1864 was not aided by the speech, as it was quite a hard-fought battle that Lincoln almost lost. B. Long-term 1. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech alluded to the opening lines of Lincoln’s speech to emphasize how during the March on Washington, African Americans were demanding what the nation, through Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address,” had promised them during the nineteenth century. 2. Governor George Pataki of New York read the “Gettysburg Address” on the first anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in order to underscore how the sacrifices of the civilians who died on that day died to preserve the ideals of America. VI. Conclusion A. The “Gettysburg Address” is taught today as a crucial aspect of American culture and citizenship. B. Historians consider it to be the best of his speeches and have devoted entire books to the study of its ten lines. Lincoln, Abraham, “The Gettysburg Address.” Abraham Lincoln Online. 2007. 3 Feb 2007. . "Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, 1863." EyeWitness to History. 2005. 3 February 2007. .