Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
at the dedication of
the Gettysburg National Cemetery
November 19, 1863.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Patriots & Patriotism • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #16 Abraham Lincoln series list. A significant historical date for this entry is November 19, 1863.
Location. 40° 53.407′ N,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Pennsylvania’s Anthracite Coal Region and in the Susquehanna Valley. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Priestley-Forsyth Memorial Library (within shouting distance of this marker); Veterans Memorial (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); War Memorial (about 300 feet away); The Old Log House (about 400 feet away);
Additional commentary.
1. About Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
At the time that this marker was included, plaques featuring only the text of the Gettysburg Address were included in the database. New contributions of these plaques are not included on their own, although photos may be used as supplemental to nearby markers and war memorials.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 15, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 21, 2021, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 348 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 21, 2021, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
