The Gettysburg Address Summary

Lincoln begins the Gettysburg Address by reminding the audience of their country’s ancestry, specifically the founding fathers who established a nation dedicated to the ideals of liberty and equality, and that the current Civil War threatens the survival of the nation and everything for which it stands. Lincoln spends the middle part of his speech addressing the matter at hand, dedicating the new national cemetery at Gettysburg and commemorating the lives lost in battle. However, Lincoln asserts that, in a sense, commemoration is futile, as the soldiers themselves have already dedicated the site by sacrificing their lives. Instead, Lincoln implores the audience to honor the soldiers’ sacrifices by committing themselves to supporting the war, the survival of the nation, and the nation’s defining democratic values.