Gettysburg Address Anniversary

Seven score and ten years ago today our nation's greatest president brought forth the Gettysburg Address.  I hope you will celebrate by reading about the dozens of other addresses given at cemeteries in the years leading into Civil War!  While none of them rival Lincoln's address in quality, they provide the context of his address.  For they established the framework of cemetery dedications as places for celebration of the Union and the economic and moral progress since the Revolution.  That is, the addresses were important constitutional documents even before Lincoln gave us one our nation's most important, if concise, constitutional documents.

The image is of the Soldier's National Memorial at Gettysburg, which is supposed to mark the spot where Lincoln delivered his address (though subsequent research has revealed a different location, which may be in the Evergreen Cemetery.)

I also have a post up this morning, "The First Gettysburg Address: A New Bond of Union,"  on the National Constitution Center's blog,  It is about Edward Everett's address immediately preceding Lincoln's address.  I begin:  "If your fifth grade social studies class was like mine, in addition to memorizing Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address you also heard about some long-winded Harvard professor who spoke for hours before Lincoln and said nothing worthwhile.  Amidst all of the talk of Lincoln’s address, I’m going to refocus on that long-winded figure: Edward Everett.  It turns out that he was, actually, quite sought-after as a speaker in those years when oratory was a primary form of entertainment.  Many were too busy to read and print was too  expensive anyway, so public addresses were a common form of communication for political ideas."  I go on to write about Everett's address, which told the history of the Gettysburg campaign, rebutted Southern arguments regarding secession, and called for reconciliation.  At the end he called for "a new bond of Union."  It was a great set up to Lincoln's address because it provided the context for Lincoln's brief and eloquent restatement of our nation's commitment to equality and democracy.

One other update here -- on a lighter note -- check out the Gettysburg Address in powerpoint.  This is a lot of fun.

Comments

[Cent Rieker]

And at every single step in the march to that supposed economic and moral progress, the South stands strong in its opposition. Just a few highlights: opposition to Civil Rights in the sixties; current homophobia (errr family values); disgusting urban sprawl; race-to-the bottom wage wars (see South Carolina using that as a carrot to lure Boeing jobs from high-wage Washington state) that hurts the rest of the country; incessant complaining about the oppressive federal government (with their hands out as net recipient states, except of course when it comes to accepting Medicaid expansion, because that would help poor, err black people); NASCAR! And nonsense like this http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/11/alabama-man-no-prison-time-raping-teenager

To all those modern day Southern secessionists, I say good riddance and "bye Felicia!"

[roger dennis]

Al—as a Northwestern rhetoric major, I revel in today’s celebration of Lincoln’s speech (and we should be sitting in Lincoln Hall at the Northwestern Law School). Every sentence has been subject to detailed analysis. What still strikes me deeply is the cadence of the King James Bible and Shakespeare.

[Dr. Oops]

Yes, yes Cent Rieker, it all started with those two damn Southerner's, Washington and Jefferson. Let's throw in LBJ and even MLK. What good did they or any of the Southerner's that followed them ever do.

[Bill Turnier]

Al, although separated by decades, we must have had the same fifth grade teacher. I was glad to read your piece about Everett's address. You created a nice setting for us by reminding us that in an earlier era, such gatherings in addition to providing a ceremonial occasion also provided entertainment of a sort. In a similar vein, church gatherings with their music and ceremony also served a similar function in addition to providing an opportunity for socializing and for young people to meet prior to starting a romance. Technology changes much even our means of social bonding. It is a long way from church worship services to online dating. I dare say that Dante likely never would have met Beatrice on Christian Mingle. Your observation caused me to think of all that. That us what good writing does. Thanks.