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Gettysburg Address
19 November 1863
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
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
battle-field 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 can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we
can not 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.
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Abraham Lincoln’s draft of the Gettysburg Address:
Executive Mansion,
Washington, , 186 .
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon 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 battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as
a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live.
This we may, in all propriety do. But, in a larger sense, we can not
dedicate – we can not consecrate – we can not hallow, this ground – The
brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above
our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long
remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here.
It is rather for us, the living, we here be dedicated to the great task
remaining before us – that, from these honored dead we take increased
devotion to that cause for which they gave here, gave the last full measure
of devotion - that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in
vain; that this nation, 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.
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