{"id":152,"date":"2025-08-17T16:37:41","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T16:37:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/fys-pinsker\/?page_id=152"},"modified":"2025-08-23T14:57:28","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T14:57:28","slug":"abraham-lincoln-gettysburg-address-1863","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/fys-pinsker\/texts\/abraham-lincoln-gettysburg-address-1863\/","title":{"rendered":"Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address (1863)"},"content":{"rendered":"

INTRODUCTION<\/strong><\/p>\n

On July 7, 1863, in the immediate aftermath of the news reaching Washington DC that Union forces had not only won a major battle at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, but also had prevailed in a long bloody, siege at Vicksburg, Mississippi, President Abraham Lincoln responded to a \u201cserenade\u201d from a crowd outside the White House with an impromptu speech.\u00a0 Near the beginning of his brief remarks, Lincoln observed, \u201cHow long ago was it \u2013eighty-odd years\u2013 since on the Fourth of July for the first time in the history of the world a nation by its representatives, assembled and declared as a self-evident truth that \u2018all men are created equal.\u201d\u00a0 Of course, while the president did not know it then, this passage represented the first draft of the famous, far more poetic, opening of his address delivered at the dedication of the Soldiers\u2019 National Cemetery at Gettysburg on November 19, 1863.<\/p>\n

\"Drawing<\/a>
Lincoln at Gettysburg, 1863 (History<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lincoln\u2019s Gettysburg Address was short\u00a0 \u2013a mere ten sentences\u2013 but it has become the most famous speech in American history.\u00a0 There are many ways to interpret its meaning, but one of the most powerful insights concerns how Lincoln subtly worked to evoke memories in his audience. He did not name individuals or policies, but instead Lincoln used the language of American politics, culture, and religious faith to help inspire his listeners and readers.\u00a0 Such writing, of course, requires careful composition and revision.\u00a0 The version below, for example, was not merely the second draft of Lincoln\u2019s response to the July serenade.\u00a0 This famous text, which now adorns the Lincoln Memorial, actually comes from a version that Lincoln hand-wrote in March 1864.\u00a0 It was not that much different than the version that he had delivered in November 1863, but the small differences reflect the brilliance of a writer who knew that every word mattered.<\/p>\n

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Excerpt from the Gettysburg Address read and produced by Caroline Eagleton, \u201923
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