Gettysburg Vocabulary

Fourscore 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 battlefield 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 cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot 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.


battlefield:	the site of a battle
	"Many men died on the battlefield at Gettysburg."

civil war:	a war between citizens of the same country
	"The secession of the southern states lead to a civil war."

conceived:	created
	"President Lincoln conceived a plan on how to free the slaves in the South."

consecrate:	to bless, sanctify, devote, dedicate, canonize
	"The field at Gettysburg is a consecrated ground."

continent:	mainland, land
	"Slaves were imported from the continent of Africa."

dedicated:	committed
	"The soldier dedicated the rest of his life to the idea of finding peace among old enemies."

detract:	to take away from
	"If President Lincoln had stumbled over the words in his address at Gettysburg it would have detracted from it's power."

devotion:	eagerness, enthusiasm, earnestness
	"Elias' devotion to the abolitionist movement was easily seen."

endure:	survive
	"John was amazed that the slaves could endure the Middle Passage."

engaged:	involved in
	"The abolitionist was engaged in a debate with the slave holder."

fitting:	suitable
	"It is fitting that he be given a military burial."

fourscore and seven:	87
	"It's been fourscore and seven years since my Grandmother was born."

hallow:	bless, dedicate, consecrate
	"The church is a very hallowed place."

honored dead:	those who died with honor
	"The mourners gathered to remember their honored dead."

measure:	amount, ounce, piece
	"It took John's last measure of strength to pull himself over the wall."

nobly:	boldly, courageously
	"Wesley fought nobly for his cause."

note:	remember, notice
	"Billy little noted the details of the man's face."

our fathers:	founders of this country
	"In 1776 our fathers fought a revolutionary war against Britain."

perish:	disappear, die, vanish
	"Many soldiers perished from disease and lack of medical care."

portion:	a piece
	"Johnny was given his portion of the rations."

proposition:	idea
	"President Lincoln was committed to the proposition that no man should be a slave."

resolve:	decide, accept
	"The new soldiers must resolve themselves to the danger of war."

resting place:	a burial site
	"Dolly's mother has gone to her final resting place."

vain:	useless, futile
	"Ted tried in vain to stop the sale of his wife and children."

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