The Gettysburg Address
One of Lincoln's best and most renowned works
By: Caroline Sutphin
The Battle of Gettysburg and its Casualties
The Battle of Gettysburg lasted from June 1-3, 1863 and resulted in a Union victory during the Civil War. There were a total of 23,049 Union casualties and 28,063 Confederate, amounting to more than one-third of Lee's army. These high casualties resulted in the dedication ceremony of the Gettysburg National Cemetery.
The Gettysburg National Cemetery
This is a Civil War cemetery dedicated to more than 3,500 Union soldiers' casualties. There are now many subsequent sections for soldiers of other wars and their families, all centered around the Soldiers National Monument. This was the cemetery that was dedicated by Lincoln (and Everett) and is now a part of the National Military Park.
Edward Everett
Everett was a well-known orator of the Civil War era and was the featured orator during the dedication ceremony of the Gettysburg National Cemetery. He spoke directly before Lincoln for two hours before Lincoln's two minute speech.
Lincoln Delivering the Gettysburg Address
This occurred on Thursday, November 19, 1863 at the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery, four and a half months after the battle. In just over two minutes, with a little over 250 words Lincoln reiterated many important concepts of the time in his speech, which became one of the most well-known speeches in American history.
The Famous Gettysburg Address Document
Lincoln's influential declaration of national purpose, reiterating principles of equality from the Declaration of Independence. It also stressed the Civil War as a fight for preservation of the Union and a battle for true human equality. Lastly, it memorialized the soldiers who had given their lives at Gettysburg. Despite the fame, the exact words and location of the speech are disputed, as there are 5 known manuscripts, all differing slightly.
Lincoln's Memorial and the Address
The Lincoln Memorial is a national monument honoring President Abraham Lincoln. The Greek Doric temple style building includes a large seated sculpture of Lincoln. It includes inscriptions of two of his most well-known speeches, his Second Inaugural Address and The Gettysburg Address, becoming the site of many famous speeches.