"A Few Appropriate Remarks"
That's exactly what President Lincoln was invited to deliver at the dedication of the National Cemetery in Gettysburg. The date was November 19, 1863, and just four months earlier over 7,000 Americans gave their lives in Gettysburg's streets and the farms and fields that surrounded it.
When the smoke cleared and the armies departed, the task of treating the wounded and handling the thousands of decaying bodies of both man and horse fell to the people of the small Pennsylvania town. Citizens like expectant mother Elizabeth thorn buried nearly 100 soldiers in the local Evergreen Cemetery. As the stench of death haunted the community for the next few weeks, a desire arose to create a more permanent and more honored resting place for those "who here gave their lives" in the name of freedom.
When the smoke cleared and the armies departed, the task of treating the wounded and handling the thousands of decaying bodies of both man and horse fell to the people of the small Pennsylvania town. Citizens like expectant mother Elizabeth thorn buried nearly 100 soldiers in the local Evergreen Cemetery. As the stench of death haunted the community for the next few weeks, a desire arose to create a more permanent and more honored resting place for those "who here gave their lives" in the name of freedom.
Edward Everett, the famed orator from Massachusetts was invited as the featured speaker and almost as an afterthought Lincoln was invited to deliver "a few appropriate remarks". In 272 words delivered in a little over 2 minutes, Abraham Lincoln re-illustrated the hope of the war and the equated the Civil War as the true test of democracy.
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What all did Lincoln manage to say in 282 words?
In my opinion, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address was and remains one the the greatest speeches in American History if not the world. Given a narrowly defined purpose - dedication a national cemetery - Lincoln managed to craft an oral masterpiece that transcended time and place. What were his main points?
* The nation was founded on the principle of "all men are created equal".
* That principle was the ultimate cause of the Civil War.
* The sacrifice of the men who died at Gettysburg was the ultimate measure of devotion to the nation.
* The cause did not end with their death or even the war. It is our duty to continue the struggle to establish that principle of equality.
* Only then, when we have established that "new birth of freedom", can we truly preserve our unique nation and government.
* The nation was founded on the principle of "all men are created equal".
* That principle was the ultimate cause of the Civil War.
* The sacrifice of the men who died at Gettysburg was the ultimate measure of devotion to the nation.
* The cause did not end with their death or even the war. It is our duty to continue the struggle to establish that principle of equality.
* Only then, when we have established that "new birth of freedom", can we truly preserve our unique nation and government.
Primary SourcesThe Library of Congress collection includes selected papers of Lincoln, digital versions of the Hay copy and Nicolay copy of the Gettysburg Address, a letter from Edward Everett to Lincoln, and the original glass negatives of the dedication ceremony.
TranscriptsContemporary Reviews of the Gettysburg Address |
Secondary SourcesIn Print
Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America by Garry Wills
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address: Echoes of the Bible and Book of Common Prayer by A.E. Elmore The Gettysburg Gospel: The Lincoln Speech That Nobody Knows by Gabor Boritt Children & Young AdultThe Gettysburg Address by Michael McCurdy
OnlineThe Verbal Tapestry of the Gettysburg Address by Chuck Teague
Videos |
Did You Know?
* Lincoln traveled to Gettysburg despite the severe illness of his son Tad. Lincoln himself was quarantined with illness for 3 weeks upon his return.
* Only one confirmed photo of Lincoln at Gettysburg exists although at least 2 others are disputed.
* The only part of the battlefield visited by Lincoln (other than the streets and Cemetery) were some of the fields near the Seminary.
* Lincoln paid a visit to 70 year old Gettysburg resident who fought and was wounded in the battle.
* The are 5 different copies (all slightly different) of the Address written in Lincoln's own handwriting.
* There are only 10 sentences and roughly 75% of the words are only one syllable.
* Only 8% of the 272 words have more than 2 syllables!
* The last Civil War soldier buried in the Gettysburg National Cemetery was an unidentified soldier whose remains were discovered in the Railroad Cut in the late 1990s.
* Only one confirmed photo of Lincoln at Gettysburg exists although at least 2 others are disputed.
* The only part of the battlefield visited by Lincoln (other than the streets and Cemetery) were some of the fields near the Seminary.
* Lincoln paid a visit to 70 year old Gettysburg resident who fought and was wounded in the battle.
* The are 5 different copies (all slightly different) of the Address written in Lincoln's own handwriting.
* There are only 10 sentences and roughly 75% of the words are only one syllable.
* Only 8% of the 272 words have more than 2 syllables!
* The last Civil War soldier buried in the Gettysburg National Cemetery was an unidentified soldier whose remains were discovered in the Railroad Cut in the late 1990s.