dec 31, 1862 - Gettysburg Address

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After the battle of Gettysburg, which was the bloodiest battle of the War, Abraham Lincoln, the president of the country at that time, gave a speech known as the Gettysburg Address. The speech is extremely short since it is less than two-hundred and seventy five words and took Lincoln two minutes to say it. In the speech, Lincoln begins by reminding the American citizens that their country was founded with principles, such as liberty and that all men are equal, and that it is their duty to keep those principles. Lincoln stresses the importance of democracy and declares that the deaths of the soldiers were not in vain since it was for a purpose, to protect democracy.

The speech clearly demonstrates how flawed American democracy was at that time. In the speech, Lincoln highlights the fact that American democracy was not true democracy since it was not upholding the principles the country was founded with. Blacks were not considered equal to white men and women were seen as if they were inferior to men. Lincoln also states how vital it was to conserve democracy and its principles, and that the nation had to change in order to do so.

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