President Abraham Lincoln delivered the famed Gettysburg Address today during the consecration of the Soldiers' National Cemetery at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg. The 272 word speech, delivered in under three minutes, became one of the most often quoted speeches in history. Beginning with the famous strain "Four score and seven years ago," President Lincoln's brief speech evoked the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the spirit of the American Revolution and redefined the Civil War as a struggle to bring true equality to all American citizens.
President Lincoln's address was secondary to the speech of former Secretary of State Edward Everett, who at the time was considered the nation's greatest orator, and in fact his invitation to the event had been an afterthought to the invitation of Everett as orator. He was invited to the ceremony by David Wills, who had organized the creation of the cemetery itself, to deliver a few remarks after Everett had spoken. The Adams Sentinel reported on November 24, 1863, that his speech was met with great applause and after being escorted back to David Wills' home, President Lincoln "was subsequently visited by a large number of persons, and [for] more than an hour was the victim of a 'hands shaking' that must have tested his good nature to the utmost."
NOTE: The delivery of the Gettysburg Address is still celebrated to this day at an annual ceremony at the Soldiers' National Cemetery, now known as the Gettysburg National Cemetery, as well as in writing contests across the country that revolve around the speech. President Lincoln's assassination less than two years later would seal his place in history, yet his address to the crowd in Gettysburg continues to instill hope and pride in Americans to this day.
Arrrrrrr, Matey
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