The theme of the Gettysburg Address revolves around the principles of human equality, the importance of national unity, and the ongoing struggle for freedom and democracy. Delivered by President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War, this speech emphasizes the sacrifices made by soldiers in the battle and calls for a recommitment to the nation’s founding ideals.
Lincoln highlights that the Civil War is a test of whether a nation conceived in liberty can endure. He invokes the notion that the sacrifices at Gettysburg should lead to a new birth of freedom, ensuring that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth. This profound statement encapsulates the essence of democratic governance and serves as a rallying cry for unity and perseverance in the face of division.