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Facts About the Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln
Learn About the Gettysburg Address Speech by Abraham Lincoln- One of the Greatest Speeches in History
Abraham Lincoln was born in poverty. True to the American dream, he died as one of the greatest men in history. Abraham Lincoln presided over our country during its darkest times. Yet he managed to keep the United States a whole. Most history experts consider Abraham Lincoln the greatest president of the United States.
One of the often overlooked facets of Abraham Lincoln's genius was his way with words. Lincoln was a sincere speaker. He had a true gift of writing. The most famous example of Lincoln's writing skills is in his Gettysburg Address. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is one of the most frequently quoted speeches in American history.
The Gettysburg Address was given during the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was delivered in the midst of the Civil War, just months after the Confederate soldiers had been defeated at the bloody Battle of Gettysburg. The date was November 19, 1863.
The Gettysburg Address wasn't even considered important the day it was delivered. The main speaker for the event was Edward Everett, a Whig politician from Massachusetts. Edward Everett delivered his speech before Lincoln. Everett's oratory lasted for two hours. Lincoln's speech was listed as simply 'Dedicatory Remarks'.
Lincoln's speech at Gettysburg was barely over two minutes and only contained ten sentences. Yet, in that small space of time Lincoln managed to convey the United States principles of unity and equality. The speech contained lyrical phrases and haunting imagery. In this small snippet of words, Lincoln started with "a new nation, conceived in Liberty" and ended with "shall not perish from the earth".
Contrary to popular opinion, the Gettysburg Address was not hurriedly written on the way to the ceremony. Several drafts exist of the speech as well as accounts of Lincoln editing the speech beforehand.
The Gettysburg Address is now regarded as one of the best speeches in United States history. Everyone may not have the Gettysburg Address memorized, but all recognize the words "Four score and seven years ago".
