The first sentence of the Gettysburg Address reads:

" 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."

The first sentence of the Gettysburg Address serves which of the following purposes?

Select one:
a. it forges a link with past events and ideals
b. it indicates that the speech will be a brief one
c. it makes reference to a previous speech
d. it makes an assertion that will be qualified later in the speech