The Historian

"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 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." - The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln

Your Viewpoint

You are IN FAVOR of the monument.

As a historian you understand the importance of the Civil War in our country's history. You believe that there are too many myths and untruths surrounding the Civil War. Since you are a historian, you would rather discuss the facts of the Civil War rather than glorify or glamorize it. You believe that the monument may be filled with stereotypes rather than truths. You believe it is your duty to "set the record straight" and provide the community with information that better allow them to make an informed decision. To this end, you will present a brief overview of the war, why it was fought, and what the long tern significance of the war has been on American history.

The mayor's questions
Should the monument be constructed?
If yes, what should it look like?
Should public funding be used to construct it?

Additional questions to consider as you conduct your research
How were slaves and free black involved in the war?
Why did we fight the war?
How long was the war?
How many casualties were there?
What was the outcome of the war?
Why is it important to construct this monument?
Why is it important to remember historical events like the Civil War

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