ragraphs, has provided a sacramental rite for Lincoln's political religion. It is a sacrament which has been memorized by grammar school students for generations, and thus has become so familiar to most Americans that the words have lost their meaning (Dwight G. Anderson 187-188).
The speech was delivered on November 19, 1863. The occasion for the speech was the dedication of a cemetery in Gettysburg, a portion of the battlefield that was to become a permanent cemetery for the Union dead. At the time, Lincoln had given up on the idea that the war would be won soon, and indeed after the near-disaster at Chickamauga and Chattanooga, he was less confident in the outcome of the war. As the time for the dedication drew near, certain thoughts occupied Lincoln's mind. When he was asked to appear at the dedication, he surprised his Cabinet by agreeing to go. At the time,
...