History Test

• The Gettysburg Adresss


  -November 19, 1863

  - Invading forces of General Robert E. Lee (confed) clashed with Army of Potomac in Gettysburg

  - 170,000 soldiers total

  - 23K Union casualties

  - 28 K Confederate soldiers were killed, wounded & missing (more than a third of Lee's army.

  - His brief address - most important speeches in American history

  - He invoked principles of human equality contained in the Declaration of Independence

  - He addressed a crowd of 15,000 people

  - Spoke less than 2 minutes

  — Less than 275 words long
• The Gettysburg Adress


  - According to Lincoln the nation formed in 1776 was " dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

  - He connected sacrifices of the civil war with desire of = a "new birth of freedom."

  - Also mentioned important preservation of Union= he expressed that the Civil War was ultimately a test of whether the Union created in 1776 would survive, or whether it would "perish from the earth"

  - The dead at Gettysburg had laid down their lives for this noble cause, he said, it was up to the living to confront the "great task " before them: ensuring that "government of people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
• Was the civil war about slavery?

  - Sucession documents of every Southern state made it clear, that they were leaving the Union, protect their peculiar institution of slavery.

  - Confederacy vice president = "Our new government founded on slavery. Its cornerstone rest upon the great truth that the N@ is not equal to the white man."

  - Before PE 1860 - SC newspaper wanted "Issue before the country was the "extinction of slave" and called on all those "not prepared to surrender the institution.. to act." - Charleston Mercury

  - The South was preoccupied with states rights because it was preoccupied with first and foremost with retaining slavery.

  - 1858 = Slavery and only slavery divided the house : Lincoln said "A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half-slave and half-free."
• Was this civil war about slavery?

  - Only wanted to protect state rights? State rights to what? To maintain and spread slavery?

  - State right was not an exclusive Southern state.

  - Slavery = great shame = American History

  - America has everlasting credibility = fought most devastating war in its history to abolish slavery.