President Abraham Lincoln began his speech with this famous phrase on November 19, 1863 when he was commemorating the Union soldiers who had died in the Battle of Gettysburg.
What was the Gettysburg Battle?
The North and the South pitted themselves against each other in the Civil War. The North called for the abolition of slaves, but the South was dependent on slaves for their economy and livelihood. This led to tension and divided the United States.
The Gettysburg Battle was a major turning point in the Civil War. The Battle occurred July 1 - 3, 1863. The Army of Northern Virginia defeated the Army of Potomac at the Battle of Chancellorsville from April 30 - May 6, 1863. General Robert E. Lee of the Confederate Army was feeling confident and decided to invade the North again. Three days before the Battle of Gettysburg, Major General Joseph Hooker of the Union Army was replaced by Major General Gordon Meade. The two armies met at Gettysburg and fighting ensued; it was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. The America's Library website states that "more than 51,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, or captured." In addition, the Gettysburg Pennsylvania website provides a detailed account of the battle along with the movements of the armies, the individual days of battle, and the retreat path of the Confederate Army. For more information, see the collections about the Civil War at the National Archives and images of the Civil War at the Library of Congress.
What was the Gettysburg Address and how did it come to be?
The National Park Service site describes that the Gettysburg Battle brought destruction to the whole town: "every farm field and garden was a graveyard." Residents of Gettysburg were worried about the poor conditions of the graves since most of them were makeshift. They asked Governor Andrew Curtin to allow the state of Pennsylvania to buy some acres of the battlefield as a resting place for the deceased Union soldiers. The soldiers were moved to this new location. The Gettysburg Address was a dedication to the cemetery and the soldiers that sacrificed their lives in the name of equality. The Our Documents website provides a transcription of the Gettysburg Address. In addition, the Library of Congress has an exhibition dedicated to the Gettysburg Address and President Abraham Lincoln.
The National Park Service announces that the Gettysburg Battlefield Association was established in 1864 to preserve the battlefield as a memorial to the Union Army. In 1895, Gettysburg became a National Military Park. The National Park Service also provides information about Lincoln's home, a national historic site.
The Library has a copy of the 130 volume set the War of
the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, published by the War Department.
Also find many publications related to the Gettysburg address by
searching the Library’s catalog.
What are your thoughts on the Gettysburg Battle and Address?
- by Emily Hancz
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