Blog 2

“The Gettysburg Address” was a speech given by Abraham Lincoln in Gettysburg on November 19, 1853. It was a short speech that he actually wrote the day before he gave it. When Lincoln wrote this speech, he thought it would just be a short speech that would not be long remembered after it was given. In the speech, he said “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” (Lincoln).  He believed that people would not remember his words and that the speech that he was giving would end up being very significant to anyone at all. His speech was supposed to formally dedicate the ground of Gettysburg to the many men who had died fighting there in the Civil War. This speech is very important in history, and the date when the speech was given is still commemorated in Gettysburg each year as Remembrance Day.  Before Lincoln gave his speech, a man named Edward Everett had given a two hour long speech that droned on and on. Lincolns speech, right after that lasting only two minutes left the crowd of listeners speechless (Gettysburg Address Text). Abraham Lincoln was proud of the brave men who fought and died in the Civil War and he wanted everyone else to be proud of them as well and recognize the great things that those men did for their country and to preserve their freedom that this nation was built on.

Abraham Lincoln and Ralph Waldo Emerson shared some common philosophies. Ralph Waldo Emerson was at first agitated by the Civil War, but soon he started seeing it as a positive thing and as a “cleansing fire” for the country.  He saw Lincoln as the father of the country and he mourned him after he died (Porte) . They also had some philosophies that were different. Abraham Lincoln wanted all slaves to be free, and that is what the civil war was all about. Ralph Waldo Emerson also valued freedom and he wanted it for the slaves as well.

Bibliography

Porte, Joel. "Ralph Waldo Emerson." A Biography of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1802-1883). Web. 08 Feb. 2012

Lincoln, Abraham. "The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln." NetINS Showcase. 2012. Web. 08 Feb. 2012