Lincoln’s speech at Gettysburg opens by noting that the United States began as a country dedicated to freedom and equality, but that the conflict between North and South threatens those ideals. If the country breaks apart permanently, this might be the death knell of the great experiment in liberty that is the US.

Lincoln wishes to honor the soldiers who died during the recent Battle of Gettysburg in defense of American unity. For him, this task is so important that those who perish while protecting it do themselves much more honor than any living person can offer them: “The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract” (Paragraph 4). Nevertheless, it’s vital to honor them to keep alive the cause of liberty.

Lincoln thus equates the soldiers’ sacrifices with the continued existence of the values they defended. Without their “last full measure of devotion” (Paragraph 5), those values would likely lie in shambles, soon to be consigned to oblivion. Without the American experiment, the world would lose a beacon of hope for those everywhere who care about freedom and dignity.