Lincoln turned that on its head, stating that the true moral and legal codes of the nation preceded the Constitution and were found instead in the Declaration of Independence, with its “proposition that all men are created equal”-Black people as well as white people. Constitution allowed for both the institution of slavery as well as the secession of the Confederate states in defense of its rights. In his speech, Lincoln attempted to redefine the Civil War itself.įor years, the South had argued that the U.S. In fact, Lincoln spoke for such a short period of time that photographers covering the event did not have a chance to properly set up: he was done before they could get a clean shot. When the president took the stage, he uttered just 272 words (273 by some accounts), compared to more than 13,600 spoken by Everett. The assembled crowd heard an opening prayer and several musical bands before Edward Everett took the stage-and held it for more than an hour, delivering an emotional address that lay the blame for the war solely at the feet of the South. The ceremony, which began around 11 a.m., was well attended: guests included six Northern governors, a handful of reporters and more than 15,000 spectators. Edward Everett spoke for 60 minutes, while Lincoln spoke for less than three. WATCH: Abraham Lincoln on HISTORY Vault 3. It’s likely, however, that the finishing touches were put on the Gettysburg Address the night before the ceremony, while Lincoln was staying at the home of Gettysburg-based lawyer David Wills, who had spearheaded the effort to create the national cemetery. In fact, he’d been working on his remarks ever since receiving the invitation like the rest of the nation, he’d had nearly five months to let the enormity of the battle’s costs sink in. Contrary to myth, he did not hastily scribble down his speech on the back of an envelope while on his way to Pennsylvania. Lincoln may not have been the star attraction, but he didn’t take the occasion lightly. The inclusion of Lincoln, who was then busy steering the North through the Civil War, was something of an afterthought: he wasn’t formally invited until a little more than two weeks before the ceremony, and he was asked only to deliver a few remarks at its conclusion. When Everett asked for more time to prepare his address, the event’s date was pushed from late October to November 19. secretary of state who was considered one of greatest orators of his day. That honor went to Edward Everett, a former Massachusetts senator, governor, Harvard president and U.S.
When organizers planned the ceremonial dedication of a cemetery for the Union dead on the Gettysburg battlefield, they didn’t choose the sitting president as the keynote speaker. Lincoln wasn’t the main act at the Gettysburg consecration. Delivered in the midst of American Civil War at the dedication of a military cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, President Abraham Lincoln's mere two minute-long address invoked the principles of human equality and connected the sacrifices of the Civil War with the desire for “a new birth of freedom.” Much like the orator itself, the speech has gone down as one for the ages. "Four score and seven years ago." The Gettysburg Address, with its unforgettable opening lines, is among the most famous speeches in U.S.
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