#408 Sacrifice: Gettysburg

Background:

• The battle at Gettysburg, Penn. (July 1863) is one of two battles (along with that of Vicksburg, Miss., May-June 1863), that are seen as the crucial turning points of the war.
  
• More soldiers died at Gettysburg than at any other battle during the Civil War (46,000-50,000 died as a result of 3 days of fighting). Take a moment to review Civil War by the Numbers to provide some context of some other statistics.
  
• From the summer of 1863, the conflict remained in Southern territory and Confederate forces were geographically divided.
  
• Traditionally historians have focused on causes, effects, and structural patterns of war.
  
• More recently, they have begun to consider the role of memory:             
  
  • What meaning do we assign to the deaths?
    

Gettysburg address:
 
On Nov. 19, 1863, Lincoln dedicated a national cemetery at Gettysburg. His speech lasted just two minutes but has been remembered as one of the most influential speeches in U.S. history.
    
It’s a short speech, so we’ll read it together. As we do so, look for . . .

• repeated words and concepts
• changing geographical and chronological scope
• what others’ did vs. what we must do
• what does this text have in common with The Bible and Star Wars?

    
Whitman

How does Whitman’s sense of the war’s meaning similar and differ from that of Lincoln?
    
Cast of Characters Individual Writing #4

• How might your assigned character respond to the issues discussed today and in our last class?
  
  • How might your character understand the meaning of death in the Civil War? How was your character likely to view President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address?
    
  • Feel free to complete research as needed, although keep in mind that the major goal of this exercise is to explore various perspectives through your own thinking/extrapolation from your character’s background.