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Primary sourceSpeech19 November 1863

Gettysburg Address

Abraham Lincoln · 19 November 1863

Lincoln's brief 1863 speech at the dedication of the Gettysburg battlefield cemetery, recasting the Civil War as a fight for a 'new birth of freedom'.

Lincoln's own words defining the purpose of the Civil War, delivered at the site of one of its deadliest battles.

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Black-and-white photograph of a large, blurred crowd of men in top hats and dark coats at an outdoor event, with a flag on a pole in the background. Some figures are sharply visible, others motion-blurred.
Abraham Lincoln at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 19 November 1863.

About this source

What it is

Abraham Lincoln delivered this short speech on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, months after the deadly battle fought there. It is only about 272 words long and took less than two minutes to deliver.

Why it matters

Lincoln redefined the purpose of the Civil War as a test of whether a nation dedicated to equality could endure, and he honored the dead by calling for a 'new birth of freedom'. It became one of the most famous speeches in American history, even though it was not seen as especially important at the time.

Look closer

  • Why do you think such a short speech became so famous?
  • What does Lincoln's reference to the Declaration of Independence tell us about how he understood the war?
  • What does the accompanying photograph, taken before the speech, leave out about the moment Lincoln actually spoke?

This speech is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Abraham Lincoln on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Carte-de-visite Portrait of Abraham Lincoln

19th century

Black-and-white photograph of a large crowd on the steps and platform of the United States Capitol in 1865, with a U.S. flag and a statue visible; dignitaries in top hats fill the platform, and a dense mass of spectators stands below.Speech

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