Using the text of the Gettysburg Address, answer the following questions:
1a - Lincoln said that the Civil War was being fought over an idea the Founding Fathers created the country to assure. What was that idea?

2a - What does Lincoln believe is the only way to honor the soldiers who died here?

3a - Toward the end of the speech what does Lincoln mean by a “new birth of freedom”?

4a - Why is this new birth of freedom necessary to have a “government of the people, by the people, for the people”?

Thinking questions:
1b - What features of Abraham Lincoln’s speech make it so memorable.

2b - The Gettysburg Address is unique for its length; it’s just 272 words. Do you think the speech’s brevity makes it more or less powerful? Why?

3b - Four score and 7 years equals 87 years. That was the year of the Declaration of Independence? Why does Lincoln focus on the Declaration and not the Constitution?