The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln Gettysburg, Pennsylvania November 19, 1863 On June 1, 1865, Senator Charles Sumner referred to the most famous speech ever given by President Abraham Lincoln. In his eulogy on the slain president, he called the Gettysburg Address a "monumental act." He said Lincoln was mistaken that "the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here." Rather, the Bostonian remarked, "The world noted at once what he said, and will never cease to remember it. The battle itself was less important than the speech." There are five known copies of the speech in Lincoln's handwriting, each with a slightly different text, and named for the people who first received them: Nicolay, Hay, Everett, Bancroft and Bliss. Two copies apparently were written before delivering the speech, one of which probably was the reading copy. The remaining ones were produced months later for soldier benefit events. Despite widely-circulated stories to the contrary, the president did not dash off a copy aboard a train to Gettysburg.

Lincoln carefully prepared his major speeches in advance; his steady, even script in every manuscript is consistent with a firm writing surface, not the notoriously bumpy Civil War-era trains. Additional versions of the speech appeared in newspapers of the era, feeding modern-day confusion about the authoritative text. Bliss Copy Ever since Lincoln wrote it in 1864, this version has been the most often reproduced, notably on the walls of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. It is named after Colonel Alexander Bliss, stepson of historian George Bancroft. Bancroft asked President Lincoln for a copy to use as a fundraiser for soldiers (see "Bancroft Copy" below). However, because Lincoln wrote on both sides of the paper, the speech could not be reprinted, so Lincoln made another copy at Bliss's request. It is the last known copy written by Lincoln and the only one signed and dated by him. Today it is on display at the Lincoln Room of the White House. 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. Abraham Lincoln November 19, 1863 Nicolay Copy Named for John G. Nicolay, President Lincoln's personal secretary, this is considered the "first draft" of the speech, begun in Washington on White house stationery. The second page is writen on different paper stock, indicating it was finished in Gettysburg before the cemetery dedication began. Lincoln gave this draft to Nicolay, who went to Gettysburg with Lincoln and witnessed the speech. The Library of Congress owns this manuscript.

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 dedicate � 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. Hay Copy Believed to be the second draft of the speech, President Lincoln gave this copy to John Hay, a White House assistant. Hay accompanied Lincoln to Gettysburg and briefly referred to the speech in his diary: "the President, in a fine, free way, with more grace than is his wont, said his half dozen words of consecration." The Hay copy, which includes Lincoln's handwritten changes, also is owned by the Library of Congress. 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.

Everett Copy Edward Everett, the chief speaker at the Gettysburg cemetery dedication, clearly admired Lincoln's remarks and wrote to him the next day saying, "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." In 1864 Everett asked Lincoln for a copy of the speech to benefit Union soldiers, making it the third manuscript copy. Eventually the state of Illinois acquired it, where it's preserved at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. 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. Bancroft Copy As noted above, historian George Bancroft asked President Lincoln for a copy to use as a fundraiser for soldiers.

When Lincoln sent his copy on February 29, 1864, he used both sides of the paper, rendering the manuscript useless for lithographic engraving. So Bancroft kept this copy and Lincoln had to produce an additional one (Bliss Copy). The Bancroft copy is now owned by Cornell University. 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. Source for all versions: Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, edited by Roy P. Basler and others. Related Links Boritt, Gabor. The Gettysburg Gospel: The Lincoln Speech That Nobody Knows. Simon & Schuster, 2006. Graham, Kent. November: Lincoln's Elegy at Gettysburg. Indiana University Press, 2001. Hoch, Bradley R. and Boritt, Gabor S. The Lincoln Trail in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania State University Press, 2001. Johnson, Martin P. Writing the Gettysburg Address. University Press of Kansas, 2013. Kunhardt, Philip B., Jr. A New Birth of Freedom - Lincoln at Gettysburg. Boston: Little, Brown, 1983. Mearns, David C., Dunlap, Lloyd A., Wilson, Douglas L., and Sellers, John R., contributors. Long Remembered: Lincoln and His Five Versions of the Gettysburg Address. Levenger Press, 2011. Wills, Garry. Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America. Touchstone Books, 1993. Wilson, Douglas L. Lincoln's Sword: The Presidency and the Power of Words. Alfred A.

Knopf, 2006 The Gettysburg Address - American Civil War - HISTORY.com The Gettysburg Address A+E Networks Introduction In November 1863, President Abraham Lincoln was invited to deliver remarks, which later became known as the Gettysburg Address, at the official dedication ceremony for the National Cemetery of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, on the site of one of the bloodiest and most decisive battles of the Civil War. Though he was not the featured orator that day, Lincoln’s 273-word address would be remembered as one of the most important speeches in American history. In it, he invoked the principles of human equality contained in the Declaration of Independence and connected the sacrifices of the Civil War with the desire for “a new birth of freedom,” as well as the all-important preservation of the Union created in 1776 and its ideal of self-government. Google Burying the Dead at Gettysburg From July 1 to July 3, 1863, the invading forces of General Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army clashed with the Army of the Potomac (under its newly appointed leader, General George G.

Meade ) at Gettysburg, some 35 miles southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania . Casualties were high on both sides: Out of roughly 170,000 Union and Confederate soldiers, there were 23,000 Union casualties (more than one-quarter of the army’s effective forces) and 28,000 Confederates killed, wounded or missing (more than a third of Lee’s army). After three days of battle, Lee retreated towards Virginia on the night of July 4. It was a crushing defeat for the Confederacy, and a month later the great general would offer Confederate President Jefferson Davis his resignation; Davis refused to accept it. Did You Know? Edward Everett, the featured speaker at the dedication ceremony of the National Cemetery of Gettysburg, later wrote to Lincoln, "I wish that I could flatter myself that I had come as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes." As after previous battles, thousands of Union soldiers killed at Gettysburg were quickly buried, many in poorly marked graves.

In the months that followed, however, local attorney David Wills spearheaded efforts to create a national cemetery at Gettysburg. Wills and the Gettysburg Cemetery Commission originally set October 23 as the date for the cemetery’s dedication, but delayed it to mid-November after their choice for speaker, Edward Everett, said he needed more time to prepare. Everett, the former president of Harvard College, former U.S. senator and former secretary of state, was at the time one of the country’s leading orators. On November 2, just weeks before the event, Wills extended an invitation to President Lincoln, asking him “formally [to] set apart these grounds to their sacred use by a few appropriate remarks.” Gettysburg Address: Lincoln’s Preparation Though Lincoln was extremely frustrated with Meade and the Army of the Potomac for failing to pursue Lee’s forces in their retreat, he was cautiously optimistic as the year 1863 drew to a close. He also considered it significant that the Union victories at Gettysburg and at Vicksburg, under General Ulysses S.

Grant , had both occurred on the same day: July 4, the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence . When he received the invitation to make the remarks at Gettysburg, Lincoln saw an opportunity to make a broad statement to the American people on the enormous significance of the war, and he prepared carefully. Though long-running popular legend holds that he wrote the speech on the train while traveling to Pennsylvania, he probably wrote about half of it before leaving the White House on November 18, and completed writing and revising it that night, after talking with Secretary of State William H. Seward, who had accompanied him to Gettysburg. The Historic Gettysburg Address On the morning of November 19, Everett delivered his two-hour oration (from memory) on the Battle of Gettysburg and its significance, and the orchestra played a hymn composed for the occasion by B.B. French. Lincoln then rose to the podium and addressed the crowd of some 15,000 people. He spoke for less than two minutes, and the entire speech was only 272 words long.

Beginning by invoking the image of the founding fathers and the new nation, Lincoln eloquently expressed his conviction that the Civil War was the ultimate test of whether the Union created in 1776 would survive, or whether it would “perish from the earth.” The dead at Gettysburg had laid down their lives for this noble cause, he said, and it was up to the living to confront the “great task” before them: ensuring that “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” The essential themes and even some of the language of the Gettysburg Address were not new; Lincoln himself, in his July 1861 message to Congress, had referred to the United States as “a democracy–a government of the people, by the same people.” The radical aspect of the speech, however, began with Lincoln’s assertion that the Declaration of Independence–and not the Constitution–was the true expression of the founding fathers’ intentions for their new nation.

At that time, many white slave owners had declared themselves to be “true” Americans, pointing to the fact that the Constitution did not prohibit slavery; according to Lincoln, the nation formed in 1776 was “dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” In an interpretation that was radical at the time–but is now taken for granted–Lincoln’s historic address redefined the Civil War as a struggle not just for the Union, but also for the principle of human equality. Gettysburg Address: Public Reaction & Legacy On the day following the dedication ceremony, newspapers all over the country reprinted Lincoln’s speech along with Everett’s. Opinion was generally divided along political lines, with Republican journalists praising the speech as a heartfelt, classic piece of oratory and Democratic ones deriding it as inadequate and inappropriate for the momentous occasion. In the years to come, the Gettysburg Address would endure as arguably the most-quoted, most-memorized piece of oratory in American history.

After Lincoln’s assassination in April 1865, Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts wrote of the address, “That speech, uttered at the field of Gettysburg…and now sanctified by the martyrdom of its author, is a monumental act. In the modesty of his nature he said ‘the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; but it can never forget what they did here.’ He was mistaken. The world at once noted what he said, and will never cease to remember it.” Tags Gettysburg Address | Exhibitions - Library of Congress Library of Congress Home | Online Exhibition | Exhibition Items | Essay | Learn More | Acknowledgments January 12–19, 1995 Abraham Lincoln was the second speaker on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery at Gettysburg. Lincoln was preceded on the podium by the famed orator Edward Everett, who spoke to the crowd for two hours. Lincoln followed with his now immortal Gettysburg Address.

On November 20, Everett wrote to Lincoln: “Permit me also to express my great admiration of the thoughts expressed by you, with such eloquent simplicity & appropriateness, at the consecration of the Cemetery. 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.” Of the five known manuscript copies of the Gettysburg Address, the Library of Congress has two. President Lincoln gave one of these to each of his two private secretaries, John Nicolay and John Hay. The other three copies of the Address were written by Lincoln for charitable purposes well after November 19. The copy for Edward Everett, the orator who spoke at Gettysburg for two hours prior to Lincoln, is at the Illinois State Historical Library in Springfield; the Bancroft copy, requested by historian George Bancroft, is at Cornell University in New York; the Bliss copy was made for Colonel Alexander Bliss, Bancroft's stepson, and is now in the Lincoln Room of the White House. Drawn from the Library’s collections, the presentation that follows gathers the key documents linked to Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

Preservation Techniques for Original Drafts On view at the Library of Congress, With Malice Toward None, 2009. Photo: Riggs Ward Design, Richmond, VA In order to assure the long-term preservation of the two drafts of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in the Library of Congress collections, in the 1990s the Preservation Directorate commissioned the design and manufacture of two environmental cases, one for each document. In addition, the Library constructed a low temperature vault where these encasements and other Top Treasures of the Library are permanently stored. GettyReady The Gettysburg Address About the Gettysburg Address: President Lincoln delivered the 272 word Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863 on the battlefield near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In the battle at Gettysburg over ten thousand Americans lost their lives. This famous speech was given at the dedication of the cemetery for Union soldiers who fought and died in the battle. In the address Lincoln expressed the importance for Americans to remember the sacrifice made by these soldiers. Even though the speech was barely 3 minutes it has become one of American's most famous speeches of all time.

As part of the 150 anniversary of the Gettysburg Address students and citizens are memorizing the Gettysburg address. The text of the speech below can be used to help you memorize, study and apply the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address November 19, 1863 "Fourscore 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 cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate—we cannot 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." This text is a transcription of the “Bliss Version” of the Gettysburg Address, housed in the Lincoln Bedroom at The White House in Washington, DC. Download a printable PDF version.

Learn the Address: To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, documentarian Ken Burns, along with numerous partners, has launched a national effort to encourage everyone in America to video record themselves reading or reciting the speech.The collection of recordings housed on this site will continue to grow as more and more people are inspired by the power of history and take the challenge to LEARN THE ADDRESS . Watch videos of famous, and not so famous, Americans reciting the Gettysburg Address. Share your video Now it is your turn. Record yourself reciting or reading the Gettysburg Address and then share it . Videos and Media: Listen to the Gettysburg Address Harry E. Humphrey recited the Gettysburg address on Feb. 20, 1914. This recording is from the Library of Congress' National Jukebox , which makes historical sound recordings available to the public free of charge. Historical Backdrop for the Gettysburg Addres s This five-minute video excerpt from Ken Burns’ The Civil War will help us understand the historical backdrop for the Gettysburg Address. See more from The Civil War .

The Lincoln Presidency: Last Full Measure of Devotion Reverend Thomas H. Stockton, Chaplain of the House of Representatives, offered the opening prayer at the Gettysburg dedication ceremony. Edward Everett. An Oration Delivered on the Battlefield of Gettysburg... New York: Baker & Godwin, 1863. [zoom] | [ read this book ] Copy with original paper covers. Everett took an active role in the dissemination of his speech both before and after its delivery. He took care that the press had copies in advance, something Lincoln did not have time to do for his own Address. In this edition of Everett’s Oration, Lincoln’s Address appears on page 40, but it is not mentioned on the title page. Gift of Andrew Dickson White Edward Everett. An Oration Delivered on the Battlefield of Gettysburg... New York: Baker & Godwin, 1863. [zoom] | Additional images: Bound copy, with Edward Everett’s bookplate. Everett ordered some copies of his Oration specially bound in cloth for presentation to friends and dignitaries. This copy contains Everett’s own bookplate. Edward Everett. Engraving.

From the Original Painting by Alonzo Chappel. New York: Johnson Fry & Co., 1863. Susan H. Douglas Collection of Political Americana The Gettysburg Address. In The New York Times, November 20, 1863. [zoom] | Additional images: The fifth copy of the Gettysburg Address—the “Bliss Copy”—was used to make a lithographic reproduction that appeared in Autograph Leaves of Our Country’s Authors, a handsome book of autographs by famous writers sold to raise money for Union soldiers at the Baltimore Sanitary Fair. The original manuscript remained in the Bliss family until 1949, when it was sold at auction for $54,000. The “Bliss Copy” is the only copy of the five manuscripts to include a formal title and Lincoln’s signature. The Unique and Final Holograph Manuscript of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address... New York, Parke-Bernet Galleries, April 27, 1949.

[zoom] This catalog documents the sale of the “Bliss Copy” of the Gettysburg Address, the only one of the five copies Lincoln wrote that would change hands at a public auction. It sold to Cuban businessman Oscar Cintas for $54,000. Cintas, a former Cuban ambassador to the United States, left the manuscript to the American people by bequest. It arrived at the White House in 1959, and it remains in the Lincoln bedroom there today. An informed observer at the sale annotated this copy of the auction catalog: “Bids opened at $25,000 (by Kirschenbaum for Carnegie & Sessler). Lafayette College bid $51,000. The under bidder (at $53,000) was David Kirschenbaum [of Carnegie Book Shop].” Photograph of Cornell President Edmund Ezra Day with Cornell’s copy of the Gettysburg Address [Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., ca. 1949]. [zoom] Cornell’s manuscript copy of the Gettysburg Address arrived on campus in 1949, the gift of Nicholas H.

and Marguerite Lilly Noyes. It is the only copy to be accompanied by a letter of transmittal signed by Lincoln, along with the franked envelope in which the manuscript was originally delivered to George Bancroft. Between 1916 and 1959, all five of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address manuscripts made their way from the hands of private individuals into institutional collections. Abraham Lincoln.ï¿½ The Gettysburg Address. February 29, 1864. [zoom] | Additional images: ï¿½ Cornell University Library’s copy of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is one of five known copies in Lincoln's hand, and the only copy owned by a private institution. The four other copies are owned by public institutions: two at the Library of Congress, one at the Illinois State Lincoln Presidential Library, and one in the Lincoln Bedroom at the White House. Abraham Lincoln.ï¿½ Autograph Letter to George Bancroft.ï¿½ Washington D.C. February 29, 1864.

[zoom] ï¿½| Additional images: ï¿½ Cornell University Library’s copy of the Gettysburg Address is the only one of the five copies to be accompanied by a letter from Lincoln transmitting the manuscript and by the original envelope addressed and franked by Lincoln. Hon. George Bancroft My Dear Sir: Herewith is the copy of the manuscript which you did me the honor to request. ï¿½ Yours Truly Gettysburg Address: 1863 Search... Gettysburg Address: 1863 The Gettysburg Address was delivered by President Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers National Cemetery (now called the Gettysburg National Cemetery) at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The dedication of the cemetery was an important opportunity for the President to honor all those who had given their lives during the Battle of Gettysburg. The Battle of Gettysburg, from July 1-3, 1863, was one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War (1861-1865), also known historically as the War of the Rebellion.

Many historians consider the battle one of the turning points of the war. The Union North and Confederate South lost more than 7,000 men during the three-day conflict. Over 45,000 were wounded, and more than 10,000 were captured or missing. The cemetery was planned as the final resting place for more than 3,500 Union soldiers who lost their lives at Gettysburg. When Lincoln gave his historic speech in 1863, it was only a few months after the devastating Civil War battle. Today, more than 7,000 soldiers from all America’s major wars are buried there. Let us know what you think about the new Ben's Guide! Behind the Scenes: Lincoln's Gettysburg Address | The Civil War Trust 7 Relief for the Wounded After the battle, this house served as a U.S. Sanitary Commission depot for badly needed supplies. Lincoln rode by the house as he proceeded to the Cemetery.

7 Fahnestock House The evening before the dedication, the Fahnestock House steps served as the stage for fiery, pro-Lincoln orations which fueled the excitement for President Lincoln’s stay in the town of Gettysburg. 8 Planning the Procession The existing Adams County Courthouse was built in 1859 and is seen here from the Square in 1863. The night before the Gettysburg Address, marshals met here to determine the order of the processional. 8 Adams County Courthouse During the procession and on the way back to the Wills House, Lincoln rode past the Courthouse. See what Lincoln saw. 9 Video: Penelope Buried in the Sidewalk Watch historian Tim Smith describes the significance of a cannon buried in the sidewalk. 9 The Gettysburg Compiler The cannon barrel known as Penelope was buried in 1855 in front of Democratic Headquarters in the town of Gettysburg. The Penelope Cannon remains lodged in the same place as it was when Lincoln passed it on November 19, 1863.

10 Baltimore Street Numerous buildings still stand along Lincoln’s Baltimore Street route to the Cemetery—just look for small plaques that read “Civil War Building” and you can see what Lincoln saw. 10 The Procession In the procession, Lincoln was accompanied by the marshals from state delegations, students from Gettysburg College, governors, senators, and cabinet members. A band played and masses gathered to watch the prestigious parade go by. 10 Today’s View of the Procession If you stand directly in front of the Jennie Wade House, you can enjoy the exact viewpoint of the November 19, 1863, previous photo, recorded during the procession. 11 Gettysburg Museum of History The Gettysburg Museum of History is currently located along the processional path in a structure not yet built while Lincoln was in Gettysburg but inside you can get up-close with Abraham Lincoln… 11 Lincoln’s Wallet …because President Lincoln’s wallet thought to be in his jacket pocket when he delivered the Gettysburg Address, is on display there. Get within inches of something that was with Lincoln for all his time in Gettysburg, and furthermore, his presidency.

12 Farnsworth House The Farnsworth House was built prior to the Civil War but did not escape the battle unscathed. Bullet holes mar the building’s brickwork --a reminder of the violence wrought by the battle. 12 Battle Scars 13 Taneytown Road President Lincoln rode on horseback for the final leg of the procession down Taneytown Road. You can walk down the exact path he took to the cemetery. 13 The Road in 1863 Taneytown Road was an unimproved road in 1863, as seen in this July 1863 photo. Lincoln rode toward the camera and turned left into the Cemetery somewhere near the top of the hill. 14 Burials Commence After the battle soldiers of both sides were buried where they fell. Thousands of Union soldiers were exhumed and reburied in the Soldiers National Cemetery in the months following. Fresh graves with small wooden headboards are visible at right center in this November 19, 1863 photo. 14 The Last Full Measure of Devotion The graves in the cemetery today contain the same soldiers in the same plots as when Lincoln saw them. Contemplate the dead as Lincoln did.

The headstones you see were placed within three years of Lincoln’s departure from Gettysburg. 15 The Evergreen Cemetery The Evergreen Cemetery Gatehouse was built in 1855 and it withstood the Battle of Gettysburg. Abraham Lincoln had a great view of the structure from the speakers’ platform. 15 The Gatehouse has emerged as one of the most famous architectural features at Gettysburg. 15 Soldiers Grave Damaged in Battle Lincoln spoke amidst a sea of gravestones of Gettysburg citizens. Frederick Huber was killed in the 1862 Battle of Fair Oaks and buried here, only to have his headstone damaged by Confederate artillery in 1863. 16 Video: Historian Tim Smith describes the Gettysburg Address and its memory. 16 Thousands in Attendance 19 The Sycamore that Saw Lincoln After the conclusion of the dedication ceremony, President Lincoln traveled back through Gettysburg to return to the Wills House. The sycamore tree appears at center on the day of the Address.

19 A Living Witness President Lincoln passed this Sycamore Tree both on his way to the ceremony and on his way back to the Wills House. 19 The tree is marked with a plaque at its base. See what Lincoln saw. 20 President Lincoln and the other honored guests returned to the Wills House for a luncheon. 20 Parlor Greetings In the Wills House, Lincoln met with not only the dignitaries, but also shook hands with thousands of local citizens and visitors. The parlor scene may have looked like a busier version of that pictured here. 21 The Presbyterian Church The original Presbyterian Church, where President Lincoln met with other officials for a patriotic ceremony, was replaced. 21 Historic Pew The original pew where Lincoln sat along with Gettysburg’s civilian hero, John Burns, was marked and preserved. 21 Lincoln delivers Gettysburg Address - Nov 19, 1863 - HISTORY.com Lincoln delivers Gettysburg Address Publisher A+E Networks On November 19, 1863, at the dedication of a military cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln delivers one of the most memorable speeches in American history.

In just 272 words, Lincoln brilliantly and movingly reminded a war-weary public why the Union had to fight, and win, the Civil War. The Battle of Gettysburg, fought some four months earlier, was the single bloodiest battle of the Civil War. Over the course of three days, more than 45,000 men were killed, injured, captured or went missing. The battle also proved to be the turning point of the war: General Robert E. Lee’s defeat and retreat from Gettysburg marked the last Confederate invasion of Northern territory and the beginning of the Southern army’s ultimate decline. Charged by Pennsylvania’s governor, Andrew Curtin, to care for the Gettysburg dead, an attorney named David Wills bought 17 acres of pasture to turn into a cemetery for the more than 7,500 who fell in battle. Wills invited Edward Everett, one of the most famous orators of the day, to deliver a speech at the cemetery’s dedication. Almost as an afterthought, Wills also sent a letter to Lincoln—just two weeks before the ceremony—requesting “a few appropriate remarks” to consecrate the grounds.

At the dedication, the crowd listened for two hours to Everett before Lincoln spoke. Lincoln’s address lasted just two or three minutes. The speech reflected his redefined belief that the Civil War was not just a fight to save the Union, but a struggle for freedom and equality for all, an idea Lincoln had not championed in the years leading up to the war. This was his stirring conclusion: “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.” Reception of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was initially mixed, divided strictly along partisan lines.

Nevertheless, the “little speech,” as he later called it, is thought by many today to be the most eloquent articulation of the democratic vision ever written. Related Videos Exhibition Items - Gettysburg Address | Exhibitions - Library of Congress Library of Congress Home | Online Exhibition | Exhibition Items | Essay | Learn More | Acknowledgments The Formal Invitation Judge David Wills’s letter to Abraham Lincoln is the official invitation to the president to participate in the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery at Gettysburg. Wills carefully explained to Lincoln that the proposed cemetery was planned and financed by states having soldiers buried at Gettysburg. Wills, who had conceived the idea of a national cemetery and had organized the dedication, made it equally clear to the president that he would have only a small part in the ceremonies. Although there is some evidence Lincoln expected Wills’s letter, its late date makes the author appear presumptuous, especially when one realizes that Edward Everett, the principal speaker for the occasion, received his invitation in September.

Bookmark this item: #obj0 A Personal Note The late date of Judge David Wills’s invitation, combined with the small role that Lincoln was asked to play in the ceremonies, has led many people to conclude that Wills was simply fulfilling a political or ritual duty in inviting the president to Gettysburg. Some have gone so far as to argue that Wills neither expected nor wanted the president to accept his invitation. The one-page enclosure of the same date negates that argument. Not only did Wills expect the president in Gettysburg, he urged him to stay at his own home. Bookmark this item: #obj1 Lincoln with Secretaries Hay and Nicolay Abraham Lincoln employed several secretaries over the course of his administration; however, none proved more deserving of his trust and affection than the two men shown here. John Nicolay, seated, was Lincoln’s principal secretary, but the youthful John Hay proved more adept in the art of politics, a fact that did not escape President Lincoln. On November 8, 1863, the week before the two secretaries would accompany the president to Gettysburg, the trio sat for a portrait in Alexander Gardner’s Washington photographic studio. Alexander Gardner. (left to right) John G.

Nicolay, Abraham Lincoln, John M. Hay, November 8, 1863 . Albumen print. Prints and Photographs Division , Library of Congress Digital ID # ppmsca-19421 Bookmark this item: #obj2 Lincoln on the Platform Lincoln is pictured in the center of the platform, hatless with his bodyguard, Ward Lamon, and Governor Andrew Curtin of Pennsylvania. Lincoln’s private secretaries, John Hay and John Nicolay, orator Edward Everett, and Gettysburg attorney and organizer David Wills may be among those near the president. Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, November 19, 1863 . Enlargement from glass plate negative. Brady-Handy Collection, Prints and Photographs Division , Library of Congress Digital ID # cwpb-07639 Bookmark this item: #obj3 Gettysburg Address - “Nicolay Copy” This document represents the earliest known of the five drafts of what may be the most famous American speech.

Delivered by President Abraham Lincoln in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, at the dedication of a memorial cemetery on November 19, 1863, it is now familiarly known as the “Gettysburg Address.” Drawing inspiration from his favorite historical document, the Declaration of Independence, Lincoln equated the catastrophic suffering caused by the Civil War with the efforts of the American people to live up to “the proposition that ’all men are created equal.’” This document is presumed to be the only working, or pre-delivery, draft and is commonly identified as the Nicolay Copy because it was once owned by John George Nicolay, Lincoln’s private secretary. The first page is on White House (then Executive Mansion) stationery, lending strong support to the theory that it was drafted in Washington, D.C. But the second page is on what has been loosely described as foolscap, suggesting that Lincoln was not fully satisfied with the final paragraph of the Address and rewrote that passage in Gettysburg, on November 19, while staying at the home of Judge David Wills. Bookmark this item: #obj6 A Gracious Compliment Edward Everett was quick to grasp what Lincoln accomplished at Gettysburg.

The day after the ceremony, Everett wrote Lincoln a note complimenting the president on the “eloquent simplicity & appropriateness” of his remarks and stating, “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.” Unfortunately, Lincoln had heard only the polite applause commonly awarded men of his station, whatever the occasion, which stands in marked contrast to the crescendo of praise that sounded across the nation after the American people had time to read and reflect on the Address.

Question: Who made the Gettysburg Address in 1863?
Answer: Abraham Lincoln