Lincoln Redefines America: The Gettysburg Address
Lincoln delivered a two-minute address that redefined the Civil War as a struggle for human equality rather than just Union preservation. This speech anchored American democracy in the Declaration of Independence's principles, ensuring government by the people would survive the secession crisis. Modern scholarship now locates his platform forty yards from the traditional site within private Evergreen Cemetery.
November 19, 1863
163 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on November 19
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