"This is a world of compensations; and he who would be no slave, must consent to have no slave."
–Abraham LincolnHe served as president during a tragic period of American history. Abraham Lincoln, who believed slavery to be morally wrong, labored intensely to reunite a country devastated by civil war.
After his reelection in 1864, Lincoln witnessed the end of that great war between the states. Assassinated just five days later by a fanatic sympathizer of the Southern cause, he earned his place in American history as a great speaker and writer. He will forever remain one of the most respected and admired presidents, demonstrating fortitude and courage in the face of insurmountable national crisis.
President Lincoln dedicated a national cemetery on the battlefield at Gettysburg on November 19, 1863. A few months earlier, on this very same ground, more than 7,000 men lost their lives fighting for their cause.
At the time, Lincoln's address received mixed reviews. Some critics called it insignificant and brief, but others found its message profound and appropriate for the occasion. Today, inscribed on the south wall of the Lincoln Memorial, the Gettysburg Address remains one of the finest speeches in the English language.
Part A
Read the Gettysburg Address, then complete the assessment Gettysburg.
Modern Connection
Test Prep Journal - Hand, Paper, and PenTest Prep Journal
As you become comfortable with the skill of synthesis, you will find it easier to make connections between texts and companion readings or viewings. The journal entry for this lesson gives you practice connecting the Gettysburg Address to a clip from a modern day movie.
Completing this entry involves:
reading the Gettysburg Address
listening to the audio of Coach Boone's speech from Remember the Titans.
drawing parallels between Lincoln's speech and Coach Herman Boone's speech in the audio clip
writing a two-paragraph journal entry in which you compare and contrast the content of the two speeches
copying and pasting the directly quoted text that you find relevant and supportive of the parallels you draw and integrating them into your journal entry
As you write your entry, consider elements listed in the acronym, S.M.E.L.L, which you will find helpful in evaluating argumentation and persuasion (with rhetorical appeals)
Sender/receiver relationship: Who is the speaker? Who is the audience?
one to the other?
Message: What is the content and/or claim?
Evidence: What kind of evidence is given and to what extent?
Logic: What is the quality of the reasoning? What types of appeals are being used? For example, does the author use diction that appeals to the audience's emotions or feelings?
(Make sure that in these appeals you find no faulty logic like the fallacies in the Colonial Revolutionary Edition Unit, U.S & World News Lesson.)
Language: What stylistic and rhetorical devices are being employed? Refer to the list of devices studied in the Early Edition Unit, Rhetoric and Rhetorical Strategies Lesson.
Be sure to integrate the quotations you selected while reading, viewing and listening to the two speeches.
Part B
The more experience you have with actual AP Language Exam prompts, the better prepared you will be in answering questions and the more aware you will become of the skills necessary for high marks on the AP Exam.