Gettysburg_Battle

The American Civil War plays an important part in our history. Specifically, the Gettysburg battle and Lincoln’s Gettysburg address that followed. The image chosen was one that illustrates President Lincolns address to the American citizens, and revealing the sorrow amongst them. “Four score and seven years ago…” are the famous words spoken by President Abraham Lincoln during the Gettysburg Address of the American Civil War. During the battle of Gettysburg there were what seemed to be at the time, infinite losses of our soldiers and all of those who fought. People were in a state of despair with the vast amount of fallen dead American soldiers lying around with no graves. There were few dead soldiers who lye across these battle grounds with the chance of being identified (Peatman, Jared). The reasons as to why only few soldiers were being identified were unclear. President Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address was given at the national cemetery to honor those who have died fighting (Weik, James). People needed a time to morn their loss and express their desolations. “Local and state officials decided that the Union troops needed proper burials” (Burgan, Michael). I would imagine that this brought Americans a sense of closure for their losses of these noble soldiers. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address of November 19, 1863 has become “one of the most famous speeches in history” (Burgan, Michael). His speech was only a few minutes, but was directed toward Americans realizing why we are in a civil war and how we must fight for our “equalities,” because they are not handed out to us. This was the reason why it was significant to us as a country. Even though his speech was brief it was so memorable, because it provided Americans precisely with the goals of our nation (Burgan, Michael). With the acknowledgement of our goals it provided Americans with the hope they have been longing for. It gave them remembrance to as why thousands of their loved ones died on the battlefield. There are several interesting things about this image from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. One in particular that I found fascinating was the very detail on each person’s face. Each person’s face releases their emotional and physical tie to President Lincoln’s address. For instance, there are many men and women who are looking up at him with a sense of hope. They were waiting for his reassurance, and granted he gave it to them in his speech. Another thing that is thought-provoking about this image is the people who sit behind President Lincoln. These men appear to be of important personal, but their facial expressions are different than those of the people who stand below Lincoln. The people who sit behind him give the impression anger, and stress through their faces. They appear to be leaders also. Not to mention his stance presents him to be confident, and ready for action. A picture can be a thousand words, and interpreted differently through various perspectives of each person. The American Civil Wars Gettysburg battle, to me, discloses the sense of unity among people. It shows what we as a country will go through to gain the equality that we deserve, and is the reason why I choose this image. Even in relation of today it shows us that we have what we have, because of the many battles and wars that our country has experienced. I liked it, because it was very real. It makes you feel the sorrow they are experiencing, and the hope they are looking for in Lincoln as the leader of our country. The hills in the background can represent where many soldiers lye. Looking at it, the image portrays the dark times of Americas history. We need to be reminded of those who have died for our country and those who continue to die every day at war. Whether it is two hundred or ten years ago we should honor all of those who have served our country. This image is a reminder to Americans that we have been through several challenges, but we must endure the respect for those people and the unity of our nation. The aspect that it is a continuous image that is timeless is another reason I picked it. It is timeless, because we feel the same way that people felt in 1800’s when we experience a loss of our soldiers. We as Americans are always looking for that sense of hope in our leader that they looked for in Lincoln.