What Do We Stand For?

Leah Bertram

Mrs. Rosensweig

AP US History

February 9, 2015

What Do We Stand For?

        Every year, on the Fourth of July, Americans gather together, to drink beer, and wave flags, and sing and laugh. The date stands to remind Americans of their beginnings in 1776, when the thirteen American colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence. The revolutionary fighters separated from the path of monarchy and ventured into the uncharted lands of democracy, facing ridicule from much of Europe. In the late 18th century the ideals of the young republic were considered radical, an “experiment in democracy” which threatened the traditional models of government in Europe. Many in the Old World anticipated the collapse of the US, thinking that the idealistic government could not endure. In 1863, a less than patriotic July fourth seemed to indicate the fall of the US. The battle of Gettysburg had ended on July third and the following day saw 5,000 solders dead on a battlefield. War-weary and defeated Generals Lee and Meade turned in resignations, abandoning the soldiers’ sacrifices. The commanders were not the only ones to feel disillusioned; citizens across America questioned the purpose of the war. The city of Gettysburg was particularly glum – they had watched Americans tear each other apart, seen the fighters deserted and distergrating. When the time came to bury the fallen soldiers and dedicate their graves, many prominent figures were in attendance but only one speech would be forever remembered; Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. In the Gettysburg Address Lincoln intended to galvanize the north by redefining the purpose of the Civil War. Lincoln’s address initially received mixed press coverage, but the attention was fleeting, lost in the more tumultuous events of the period. Despite the lack of response in its time, the message of the Gettysburg Address still resonates; without the actions of the living, the sacrifice of the dead is purposeless.

        When the Civil War began in 1861, both Lincoln and his supporters were passionate and confident. Lincoln had a vision of limited war; he and his supporters anticipated a swift and simple victory followed by reconciliation. Much to the shock of the Union, the federal troops suffered many early losses, and the war stretched on longer and bloodier than any had expected. Many began to question the wars propose, and saw a little reason to continue the fight. By 1863 there was a sharp increase in Union desertions, and public support for the war wavered. Discord and lack of enthusiasm slowly spread throughout the North as the conflict took lives and no end seemed near. The spirit of pessimism only grew after the three day Battle of Gettysburg. Although Gettysburg resulted in Union victory and permanently crippled the Confederate forces, the battle was the bloodiest in the war and shook the country. “Every name,” the Gettysburg Compiler wrote after the battle, “is a lightning stroke to some heart, and breaks like thunder over some home, and falls a long black shadow across some hearthstone” (Mockenhaupt "Gettysburg: Americans Saw War"). The town had been shattered. Gettysburg had witnessed a great bloodbath which swept through the community, leaving devastation and grief and rotting bodies in its wake. When autumn of 1863 arrived the town had plans to bury the soldiers and hold a dedication ceremony to honor the fallen. Leader of the Committee for the Consecration of the Cemetery at Gettysburg, David Wills, invited President Lincoln, requesting he “formally set apart [the] grounds to their sacred use by a few appropriate remarks”, Wills impressed upon Lincoln the significance of his presence, writing that it would “be a source of great gratification to the many […] who have been made friendless” (Schwartz 64). Lincoln accepted the invitation; indeed, he had already been considering issuing a public statement - to affirm the need to continue fighting. The victory at Gettysburg had been bittersweet; the people were tired of the endless loses, dedicated to a vague cause. Many in the Union began to discuss peace terms, and urged the president to address the worth of the losses. At the dedication ceremony, Lincoln was given a unique opportunity to quell doubts and define the political philosophy of the war. Fifteen thousand people are estimated to have attended the ceremony; primarily ordinary citizens from Gettysburg and other Union states, along with prominent Union and foreign politicians. Although Lincoln was a secondary speaker, charged only with making “a few appropriate remarks”, he took the occasion seriously, crafting a powerful and uplifting speech which gave propose to the pain of the event.