In his conclusion, Lincoln tries to explain once again why the Civil War is important to the nation and what the Union is fighting to protect. In Lincoln’s view, what result would mean that the dead at Gettysburg did not die in vain?

Lincoln says the nation must be dedicated to the unfinished work of those who died and that government of the people should not perish. Their sacrifice would not be in vain if the Union succeeded in preserving the nation and its democratic principles. That means a Union victory in the Civil War, not an inconclusive end or a Confederate victory.

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