Gettysburg Address

Quick Facts: Who was Gettysburg Address?

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Gettysburg Address

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Lincoln's brief, pivotal speech dedicating the Soldiers' National Cemetery after Gettysburg.

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Origins & Early Life

The Gettysburg Address is a dedication speech delivered by Abraham Lincoln, the 16th U.S. president, following the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. The speech has come to be viewed as one of the most famous, enduring, and historically significant speeches in American history. Lincoln delivered the speech on the afternoon of November 19, 1863, during a formal dedication of Soldiers' National Cemetery, now known as Gettysburg National Cemetery, on the grounds where the Battle of Gettysburg had been fought four and a half months earlier, between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In the battle, Union army soldiers successfully repelled and defeated Confederate forces in what proved to be the Civil War's deadliest and most decisive battle, resulting in more than 50,000 Confederate and Union army casualties in a Union victory that altered the war's course in the Union's favor. The historical and enduring significance and fame of the Gettysburg Address is at least partly attributable to its brevity; it has only 271 words and was read in less than two minutes before approximately 15,000 people who had gathered to commemorate the sacrifice of the Union soldiers, over 3,000 of whom had been killed during the three-day battle.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Lincoln began with a reference to the Declaration of Independence of 1776; "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." He said that the Civil War was "testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure". Lincoln then extolled the sacrifices of the thousands who had died in the Battle of Gettysburg in defense of those principles, and he argued that their sacrifice should elevate the nation's commitment to ensuring the Union prevailed and the nation endured, famously saying "that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Despite the historical significance and fame that the speech ultimately obtained, Lincoln was scheduled to give only brief dedicatory remarks, following the main oration given by the elder statesman Edward Everett. Thus, Lincoln's closing remarks consumed a very small fraction of the day's event, which lasted for several hours. Nor was Lincoln's address immediately recognized as particularly significant. Over time, it came to be widely viewed as one of the greatest and most influential statements ever delivered on the American national purpose, and it came to be seen as one of the most prominent examples of the successful use of the English language and rhetoric to advance a political cause.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In inviting President Lincoln to speak at the ceremony, David Wills, a member of the committee for the November 19 Consecration of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg, wrote, "It is the desire that, after the Oration, you, as Chief Executive of the nation, formally set apart these grounds to their sacred use by a few appropriate remarks." On November 18, 1863, Lincoln departed Washington, D.C. for Gettysburg, accompanied by three of his cabinet members, William Seward, John Usher, and Montgomery Blair, several foreign officials, his secretary John Nicolay, and his assistant secretary, John Hay. During the trip, Lincoln told Hay that he felt weak. The following morning, on November 19, Lincoln mentioned to Nicolay that he felt dizzy. Hay noted during the speech that Lincoln's face had "a ghastly color" and that he was "sad, mournful, almost haggard". After the speech, when Lincoln boarded the 6:30 pm train to return to Washington, D.C., he was feverish and weak with a severe headache.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1776: 1776 Milestone — Lincoln began with a reference to the Declaration of Independence of 1776; "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.
2. 1863: 1863 Milestone — Lincoln delivered the speech on the afternoon of November 19, 1863, during a formal dedication of Soldiers' National Cemetery, now known as Gettysburg National Cemetery, on the grounds where the Battle of Gettysburg had been fought four and a half months earlier, between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Gettysburg Address

True or False: “The Gettysburg Address was immediately recognized upon delivery as one of the most influential speeches in American history.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Lincoln's address was not immediately recognized for its profound significance; it gained that status over time through historical interpretation.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alexandre Yersin — Historical peer (Born in 1863) (1863): Pioneering Swiss-French physician and bacteriologist, renowned for plague and diphtheria research.
• Alfred de Vigny — Historical peer (Died in 1863) (1863): French poet and early Romanticist, known for his plays and novels.
• Amedeo Avogadro — Historical peer (Born in 1776) (1776): Pioneering Italian scientist known for Avogadro's law on gas volumes and molecular theory.
• David Hume — Historical peer (Died in 1776) (1776): Scottish philosopher renowned for empiricism, skepticism, and naturalism.

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