Abraham Lincoln famously said, “Fourscore and seven years ago our [founding] fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” This was part of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and is widely remembered today for its importance in bringing the Union together for a common purpose. The Gettysburg Address had a similar purpose as Coach Boone’s speech from “Remembering the Titans” because of their purpose of bringing their audience together and putting unity over race. However, they both take different approaches in how they accomplished that goal.
Abraham Lincoln’s speech from the “Gettysburg Address” and Coach Boone’s speech in “Remembering the Titans,” have several aspects in common. Both of these powerful speeches are addressed to audiences that are preparing for a “contest.” Although, one is a battle in the Civil War and the other is a football game. Lincoln addresses his speech to black and white soldiers at Gettysburg who were about to go into battle to protect the Union from collapse. In contrast, Coach Boone addresses his football players who were about to play an important match. His team is composed of both black and white players who have developed cold shoulders towards one another on behalf of their race. Also, Lincoln and Boone both have similar agendas in their speeches. Both are advocating for unity amongst the different races, and blame defeat and loss in our history on racism itself. The men are campaigning for equality and are trying to bring an end to racism. Lincoln wrote, “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.” He is explaining that every American is equal to one another and that the Civil War is a test if the American citizens can uphold that natural right. Coach Boone had a similar message as he said, “And you take a lesson from the dead. If we don't come together, right now, on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed — just like they were. I don't care if you like each other or not. But you will respect each other. And maybe — I don't know — maybe we'll learn to play this game like men.” He wants his team to learn from the not too distant past. If the teammates can come together and not bicker on behalf of race, then they will have the outcome that they all want and deserve. Both Lincoln and Boone demonstrate the importance of learning from our past mistakes as a nation.
Lincoln and Boone both take different approaches in how they present their speeches. Lincoln delivered his speech at a dedication ceremony for the National Cemetery of Gettysburg. He advised his audience to act with rationality rather than hate and sorrow in a time of crisis. Lincoln acknowledges his nation's division, and hopes that through the appeal to God, the nation will come together as one to resolve the nation’s dissection, and properly bring forth unity, “that this nation under God shall a new birth of freedom.” By strategically appealing to God, as well as America's ideology of freedom, Lincoln was able to convey the importance of our nation’s coalition. Coach Boone, on the other hand, when delivering his speech to his football players in the movie “Remember the Titans,” appeals to the importance of teamwork. He appeals to the importance of protecting one another from a common enemy. He says, “If we don't come together, right now, on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed — just like they were.” He wants them to think of the worst outcome and work hard to not get destroyed.
Boone wants his players to remember what the soldiers in the Civil War left as their final message: “I killed my brother with malice in my heart. Hatred destroyed my family.” This is a testament to how much race can divide our country and split families apart. Although both speeches portray similar messages, their audiences and purposes differ, which in the end contribute two very unique speeches.