Lincolns Gettysburg Address

Description

About The Gettysburg Address

Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, delivered on November 19, 1863, is perhaps the most famous speech in American history. In just 272 words, Lincoln redefined the meaning of the Civil War and articulated a vision of democracy that would echo through the ages.

Historical Context

Lincoln spoke at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, four and a half months after the Union victory in the Battle of Gettysburg—one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. The featured speaker, Edward Everett, spoke for two hours; Lincoln spoke for just over two minutes.

Key Themes

• Founding Principles: “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”
• The Unfinished Work: The living must dedicate themselves to completing what the fallen soldiers began
• Government of the People: The famous conclusion that “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth”
• National Rebirth: A call for “a new birth of freedom”

Masterful Brevity

Lincoln’s genius lay in his economy of words. Where Everett’s lengthy oration is largely forgotten, Lincoln’s brief address became immortal. Everett himself wrote to Lincoln the next day: “I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes.”

Enduring Legacy

The Gettysburg Address transformed the Civil War from a struggle to preserve the Union into a fight for human equality. Its words are inscribed in the Lincoln Memorial and memorized by schoolchildren across America.

This free ebook edition presents Lincoln’s complete address, a masterpiece of democratic idealism and rhetorical power.