On November 19, 1863, at the dedication of a military cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln delivers one of the most memorable speeches in American history. In fewer than 275 words, Lincoln brilliantly and movingly reminded a war-weary public why the Union had to fight, and win, the Civil War.

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The Battle of Gettysburg, fought some four months earlier, was one of the single bloodiest battle of the Civil War. Over the course of three days, more than 45,000 men were killed, injured, captured or went missing. The battle also proved to be the turning point of the war: General Robert E. Lee’s defeat and retreat from Gettysburg marked the last Confederate invasion of Northern territory and the beginning of the Southern army’s ultimate decline.

Source: history.com

READ MORE: 8 Surprising Facts About the Gettysburg Address

Citation Information

Article Title

President Lincoln delivers Gettysburg Address

AuthorHistory.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lincoln-delivers-gettysburg-address

Access Date

November 18, 2022

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

November 18, 2022

Original Published Date

March 10, 2010

1863 Lincoln delivers Gettysburg Address On November 19, 1863, at the dedication of a military cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln delivers one of the most memorable speeches in American history. In just 272 words, Lincoln brilliantly and movingly reminded a war-weary public why… read more »

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