The Battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Address

Context and Significance

• Gettysburg was the deadliest battle in American history up to that point.
• Only the battles of Meuse-Argonne (WWI), Battle of the Bulge (WWII), and Battle of Okinawa (WWII) have surpassed it in terms of casualties.

Course of the Battle

Day 1

• Confederate forces gained the upper hand.
• American troops were forced back to Cemetery Hill.

Day 2

• Entire U.S. Army was in place and pushed Confederates back to their Day 1 positions.
• Both armies suffered heavy losses but were still intact.
• Lee still had the advantage and was on the offensive.

Day 3

• Lee made a critical error by ordering an all-out assault on what he believed was a weak center of Meade's line.
• Meade had anticipated this and prepared his center for the attack.
• Confederates fell back by noon, tried again at 3 PM with a fierce artillery duel.
• American guns went silent, leading Confederates to believe they had knocked out American artillery.
• General Pickett led a charge in a one and a half mile line; American artillery responded.
• Only about 10% of Pickett's men reached American lines; Federal reserves pushed them back.
• Pickett lost two-thirds of his army, including every senior officer.
• Lee admitted fault for the destruction.

Aftermath

• On July 4th, Lee's army retreated across the Potomac.
• General Meade did not pursue, frustrating President Lincoln.
• The American victory halted the Confederate advance into the North, dealing a significant psychological blow to the Confederacy.
• Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War with 23,000 American and 28,000 Confederate casualties.

The Gettysburg Address

• Lincoln was furious with Meade for not pursuing Lee.
• A few months later, Lincoln dedicated a cemetery at Gettysburg and delivered the Gettysburg Address.
• Lincoln tied the cause of the Union to the nation's founding principles.
• The speech starts with "Four score and seven years ago", referring to 1776 (Declaration of Independence).
• Lincoln highlighted the ideals of the Declaration of Independence during a constitutional crisis and civil war.
• He challenged the nation to live up to the high standards set by the founders.

Upcoming

• Next part of the lecture will feature the Gettysburg Address delivered by famous Americans.
• Focus on the words of the speech for quizzes and exams.