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Delivered on November 19, 1863, President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address lasted for only a few minutes because of its brevity. Unlike most public speeches in his day and in the contemporary one, Lincoln's speech was extremely short -- if also tremendously powerful and inspiring at the same time.

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9y ago
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11y ago

The Gettysburg Address is most likely short because (1 point)

  • Abraham Lincoln intended to limit his subject.
  • Abraham Lincoln intended to get his point across quickly.
  • Abraham Lincoln was a skilled orator
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6y ago

It was a very difficult time in American history, with the country torn apart by a Civil War. President Lincoln was going to speak at the new Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and he wanted to say the right things, given how many soldiers had died fighting for the Union. He wrote several versions before finally deciding on one. That speech-- no more than 270 words-- is one of the most famous of all speeches in American history. Ironically, it contained the phrase "the world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here..." but as it turned out, President Lincoln's words had a power that continues to impress anyone who reads this speech, even 150 years after he gave it.

The speech was short (perhaps two minutes in length) because the president wanted to get right to the point-- he knew he had to be inspirational (after all, he was dedicated a cemetery to the fallen soldiers); but he also needed to be practical about the situation the country was in. He did not want to give a long oration nor did he want to offer empty promises; he wanted to encourage his audience at a time of sadness (many area residents had already died in the war), and above all, he wanted to reinforce his faith in the Union and his belief that these soldiers had not died in vain. He referred to the Declaration of Independence, and the promise of liberty and equality. And in his conclusion, he asserted that the Union would endure, that this American government "of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth."

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13y ago

It was exactly as long as it needed to be. Another paragraph, and it would have been too long.

Hence, one cannot say it was "so short".

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9y ago

Abraham Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg address in less than one hour. The time limit lead to the shortness of the address.

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12y ago

Lincoln said what he needed to say straightforwardly. He didn't weave a web of falsehood and confusion for his listeners like current politicians.

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12y ago

He didnt want to take all the peoples time so they could get back home to facebook.

(use ur textbook)

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Q: Why did president Lincoln make the gettys burg address so short?
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The Gettysburg Address was a short speech following the Battle Of Gettysburg by President Lincoln.


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The Gettysburg Address is most likely short because (1 point)Abraham Lincoln intended to limit his subject.Abraham Lincoln intended to get his point across quickly.Abraham Lincoln was a skilled orator


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What was the gettyburg address about?

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What was the Gettysburg Address used for?

Answer President Lincoln spoke the Gettysburg Address on the occasion of the dedication of the cemetery at Gettysburg. In his short speech, he basically said that we could not dedicate this hollowed ground any more than those who died here.