I have talked about the Gettysburg Address in the past but during the 2010 Civil War Preservation Trust Teacher’s Institute I attended a session by Mr. Chuck Teague on Teaching the Gettysburg Address.  He has graciously given me permission to share some of his presentation with you.  This is the first of a three part series on this topic.

Let’s begin taking a critical look at Mr. Lincoln’s famous speech.  First, the actual text:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

This is one of the most famous speeches in American history and yet it was:

• Only 9 sentences long
• Has fewer than 300 words
• Was delivered in less than 3 minutes

Further, did you know that:

• 3/4 of the words are one syllable
• 92% of the words have no more than two syllables
• Only four words with more than 1o letters:
  • proposition
  • altogether
  • dedicated
  • consecrated

Throughout the speech there are numerous key concepts and words that are repeated.  Check out the following Wordle and you tell me what words jump out at you.

In Part 2 we will explore more of these recurring themes.