FREEDOM SHRINE

On November 19, 1863, 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, delivered an impactful prose speech for the official dedication ceremony of the National Cemetery of Gettysburg in Pennsylvanian, the site of one of the most brutal battles of the Civil War. In his brief speech, Lincoln discussed the principles of human equality within the Declaration of Independence and connected it with the sacrifices of the Civil War. Lincoln took a somewhat radical point of view (at the time) when he held the Declaration of Independence above the constitution while considering the true expression of the founding fathers, "all men are created equal.” Lincoln considered the civil war as a trial for America, to recognize whether a nation founded on such high ideals - "government of the people, by the people, for the people" - could survive. It is important to note that Lincoln is not delivering the speech to celebrate the Union victory: instead, he is honoring those who fought. "The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract."