President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

American History

The Gettysburg Address

One of the most well known speeches in American History, the Gettysburg Address by President Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863, was part of the dedication of the Soldiers National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Though the speech was short, Lincoln was able to sum up the Civil War in only a couple of minutes and few words. He redefined the war as not only for the Union, but for the rebirth of freedom in the nation.

There are five different manuscripts of the Gettysburg Address, one of which is the Nicolay Copy pictured to the right. It was one of two draft versions given by Lincoln to his private secretaries John Nicolay, and John Hay.

Three other versions were written after the address by Lincoln, one of which called the Bliss copy, is now widely recognized as the accepted version of the speech, mainly because it is the only version that Lincoln signed, and is the last version he wrote.

The Bliss version reads:

Abraham Lincoln, “Nicolay Copy” of the Gettysburg Address, 1863.

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.

The Nicolay draft given to John Nicolay around the time of the address on November 19 has few differences.

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 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.

Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, Wherwood Lithograph, 1906. Available for photographic prints HERE!

Actual photo of Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, November 19, 1863.

Lincoln is seen in the center of the platform without his hat.

Brady-Handy Collection.

Compiled and edited by Dave Alexander, November 2011
Primary Sources - National Library of Congress, Wikipedia.

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