Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America

Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America “Fourscore and seven years ago….” These are the first 5 of only two hundred seventy-two words that remade America. In Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America, the author, Gary Wills, informed us that Abraham Lincoln wanted equality among us and to unite as one. In Abraham Lincoln’s own speech, he would not mention single individuals or even top officers. Everyone was considered as equal importance and was never any different. “Though we call Lincoln’s text the Gettysburg Address, that title clearly belongs to Everett.” 1 This is very true, which I think is interesting. Everett who was chosen by David Wills to commemorate the National Cemetery of Gettysburg, was supposed to be the speaker while Lincoln was only the dedicatory remarks speaker. Not only did Lincoln have the favorable speech, it was only three minutes while Everett’s was two hours long. Lincoln also supposedly was not supposed to be there to speak; he actually just told a correspondent that he would be present. It’s amazing to believe that a two hundred seventy-two word speech would say so much to thousands of people.

Wills did a great job in this book by showing the importance of equality, the unity, and freedom that Lincoln had created among the people. “This is the belief of Lincoln--- that the Declaration is a pledge “to all people of all colors everywhere.”’2 Slavery is wrong. We cannot own human beings and have them as slaves, and should not be kings over them. If you own certain things, how can you free it? You can’t free property; you can’t free your clothes. Those are just items, people are not meant to be owned. It is point out to the entire nation and he even pointed it out even further towards both the North and the South.

1Gary Wills, Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America, 1992.

(New York: Simon Schuster, 1992), 35

2Gary Wills, Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America, 1992.

(New York: Simon Schuster, 1992), 105

Will somewhat expected us to know basically what had happened during the battle at the time and what to expect from both General Lee and General Meade. Wills focuses on the fact that prejudice is wrong. “They (Lee and Meade) did not mean to say all were equal in color, size, intellect, moral development, or social capacity. They defined, with tolerable distinctness, in what respects they did consider all men created equal---equal in “certain unalienable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”’3 This statement Wills makes shows us that we are not going to be the same in looks, our skills, our morals, or where we stand among each other, but it down mean that we are equal in freedom.

What I thought was great about this book is that he would take certain parts from different passages or speeches. It gave more depth to certain meanings of what other people have said. On page 158, he gave two parts of speeches for us to understand the contrast between the two. One was William Seward’s and the other was Lincoln’s. It showed how just a slight change in Lincoln’s speech can add a difference. I thought it was funny that Lincoln had a high pitch Kentucky accent voice. He carried so much power into the words he said that people perceive him as being a low baritone and a heroic voice.

I loved how Wills gave the description of the Battle of Gettysburg as being a brutal and tragic event and he did a great job of describing just little parts. He described the aftermath of both sides saying there was fifty thousand dead or wounded, rotting corpse of not only humans but the horseflesh as well. ‘It would have been hard to predict that Gettysburg, out of all this muddle, these missed chances, all the senseless deaths, would become a symbol of national purpose, pride, and ideals.’4

3Gary Wills, Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America, 1992.

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