Gettysburg: Turning Point of the Union

Target: I can explain how the Battle of Gettysburg and Lincoln's speech changed the purpose of the Civil War.

Key Vocabulary

• Turning Point: An event that causes an important change in the direction of a conflict.

• Consecrate: To make something holy or sacred.

• Hallow: To honor as holy.

• Proposition: An idea or suggestion to be thought about.

• Unfinished Work: The job that is not yet done (in this case, winning the war and ending slavery).

Part 1: Do Now (5 minutes)

Directions: Read the prompt below and write a 5-8 sentence response.

Prompt: Think of a time when you or a team were losing badly, but one specific moment changed the momentum and led to a victory (or at least a chance at one). In a detailed paragraph, describe that "turning point." What happened? How did the mood change? Why is it important to recognize the exact moment when luck or skill shifts in your favor?

Sentence Starter: A "turning point" I experienced was when... Before this moment, things were going badly because... But then, suddenly... This changed the mood because...

Part 2: Analyzing the Sources

Directions: Analyze the two documents below and then answer the questions that follow.

Source 1: Gettysburg Battle Map & Data (July 1-3, 1863) The Situation: The Confederate Army (South) invaded the North. The Result: The Union Army (North) stopped them at Gettysburg, PA. The South retreated and never invaded the North again. The Cost (Casualties): Union (North): 23,000 men killed or wounded. Confederacy (South): 28,000 men killed or wounded. Total: 51,000 Americans killed or wounded in 3 days.

Source 2: Abraham Lincoln, "The Gettysburg Address" (Adapted Excerpt, Nov 19, 1863)

Original Text	Simplified 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..."	"87 years ago, our founders created a new country based on Freedom and the idea that all people are created equal..."
"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..."	"We who are still alive must promise to finish the job that the soldiers who died here started..."
"...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."	"...We must ensure that this country gets a brand new start based on freedom—and that democracy (government by the people) does not disappear from the world."

Analysis Questions

Directions: Answer questions 1-2 on your own. Work with a partner to answer question 3.

1. Look at Source 1. Why was the Battle of Gettysburg considered a "Turning Point" for the war? Based on the casualty numbers, why was this victory so painful?

   
   

   Sentence Starter: Gettysburg was a turning point because the South... However, it was a painful victory because...

   
   

2. Look at Source 2. What does Lincoln say is the "unfinished work" of the soldiers who died? What is the "new birth of freedom" he is promising?

   
   

   Sentence Starter: Lincoln says the "unfinished work" is... When he promises a "new birth of freedom," he is suggesting that the war is no longer just about keeping the country together, but also about...

   
   

3. (Work with your partner) In 1861, Lincoln said the war was only about "saving the Union." In 1863, at Gettysburg, he says it is about a "new birth of freedom." How did the purpose of the war change? Why did he change it?

   
   

   Sentence Starter: The purpose of the war changed from... to... Lincoln likely changed the goal because after so many people died, he needed to...

Part 3: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Directions: Answer the following prompt in a complete paragraph (5-8 sentences).

Prompt: President Lincoln ended his speech by saying that government "of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." In a detailed paragraph, explain what he meant. Why did he believe that losing the Civil War would mean the end of democracy everywhere, not just in America?

Sentence Starter: When Lincoln said "government of the people," he meant... He believed that if the North lost the Civil War, it would prove that democracy... This would be a disaster for the world because... Therefore, the soldiers at Gettysburg died to prove that...