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About the Gettysburg Address
On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln came to Gettysburg to help dedicate the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. He was not the featured orator. He followed a two-hour speech with one that took just two minutes. At the end of his address, many of those in attendance didn’t even realize he had spoken. But today, those 272 words continue to inspire a nation.
In the few words of the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln redefined for the North – and eventually for all Americans – the meaning and value of the continuing struggle for a unified nation: "...that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." It was what many consider the best summation in the nation’s history of the meaning and price of freedom.
Soon after the Battle of Gettysburg, local attorney David Wills proposed the establishment of a soldiers’ cemetery where Union dead could be reburied with dignity and honor. The creation of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery at Gettysburg became a model for the reburial of Union war dead in other national cemeteries during and after the war. Today, some 3,577 Union soldiers (half of them unknown) from 18 states are buried there. The David Wills House just celebrated its grand opening...click here for information on visiting this National Park Service site.
Dedication of the cemetery, adjacent to the local cemetery where some of the fighting had taken place, occurred on November 19, 1863. Noted orator Edward Everett provided the main oration for the event, with a speech that lasted approximately two hours. Then Lincoln, wearing a black suit, tall silk hat and white gloves, delivered his address. In just a few minutes and 272 words, Lincoln described his vision for "a new birth of freedom" for America.
Contemporary reaction to Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address varied widely. The Chicago Tribune predicted that it would "live among the annals of man," while its competitor, the Chicago Times, editorialized that "the cheek of every American must tingle with shame as he reads the silly, flat, and dishwatery utterances of the president."
Event orator Edward Everett wrote 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."
Today, Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is considered one of the greatest speeches of all time. At some time or another, most of us probably were required to memorize all or part of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. But how many of us were challenged to understand what it meant? As you read it now, we invite you to consider its significance.
VISIT GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK AND SOLDIERS' NATIONAL CEMETERY
Begin your Gettysburg experience with a visit to the Museum and Visitor Center at Gettysburg National Military Park. Learn about the courage and sacrifice of the soldiers who fought here through the film A New Birth of Freedom, the Cyclorama painting experience and exhibits in the Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War. The Soldiers' National Cemetery is accessible via a walking trail from the grounds of the Museum and Visitor Center.
President Abraham Lincoln’s Address
At the Dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania November 19, 1863
Only five manuscript copies of the Gettysburg Address exist. Two of them, the "Nicolay Copy" and the "Hay Copy," are in the Library of Congress. The third, the "Everett Copy," is at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Ill. The fourth, the "Bancroft Copy," is at Cornell University. The fifth copy, the "Bliss Copy," is in the Lincoln Bedroom in the White House.
The "Nicolay Copy" is often called the "first draft" because it is believed to be the earliest copy of the Gettysburg Address that exists. The "Hay" or "second draft" version was probably made by Lincoln shortly after his return from Gettysburg and its phrasing more closely matches contemporaneous accounts of the speech than the "Nicolay" or "first draft" version.
The other three known manuscript copies of the Address were written by Lincoln for charitable purposes well after the November 19, 1863, event. The "Everett Copy" was written for Edward Everett, the orator who spoke for two hours at Gettysburg, immediately prior to Lincoln’s Address at the dedication of Soldiers' National Cemetery. Everett asked Lincoln for a copy to include in a volume he was assembling to mark the November 19 dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery. He also included in that volume his own two-hour oration, other speeches given that day, maps of Gettysburg and accounts of the day. He wanted to auction it, with the proceeds going to support health care for Civil War soldiers.
Another copy, the "Bancroft Copy" was requested by historian George Bancroft. The fifth copy, the "Bliss Copy," was made for Col. Alexander Bliss and is the version that is most often reprinted today.
(Differences between the texts of the drafts are indicated below by bold type.)
Text of the "Nicolay Copy" of the Gettysburg Address
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to 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. We are met on a great battle field of that war. We come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicated – we can not consecrate – we can not hallow, this ground – The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here.
It is rather for us, the living, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, 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.
Text of the "Hay Copy" of the Gettysburg Address
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to 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. We are met here on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but can never forget what they did here.
It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have, thus far, so nobly carried on. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Text of the "Everett Copy" of the Gettysburg Address
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to 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. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives, that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate – we can not hallow – this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.
It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here, have, thus far, so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve 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.
Text of the "Bancroft Copy" of the Gettysburg Address
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.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives, that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate – we can not hallow – this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.
It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion that we here highly resolve 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.
Text of the "Bliss Copy" of the Gettysburg Address
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.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate – we can not consecrate – we can not hallow – this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve 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.
