On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered one of the most famous speeches in American history: the Gettysburg Address. In this brief but powerful address, Lincoln honored the fallen soldiers of the Civil War and redefined the purpose of the war as a struggle for freedom and equality. He declared that the nation must “highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain” and that the nation must “dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live.” Lincoln’s words have become a cornerstone of American history and a reminder of the nation’s commitment to freedom and justice.
By Abraham Lincoln · First published 1863 · Genre: Historical Non-Fiction, Speeches, Biography