A dedication becomes a national proposition
At the cemetery dedication in 1863, Lincoln linked the nation’s founding promise to the unfinished work facing the living.
Speech · A CLOSER LOOK
The Gettysburg Address
ABOUT THIS SPEECH
A brief dedication that reframes the Civil War around equality, sacrifice, and democratic government.
A CLOSER LOOK
The story behind it.
A brief dedication that reframes the Civil War around equality, sacrifice, and democratic government.
A short address with a continuing task
The speech turns from honoring the dead to the responsibility of those who remain. Its closing movement makes remembrance an obligation extending beyond the ceremony.
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Introductions are grounded in the sources below. Collection notes and reading prompts provide an editorial starting point; personal opinions are identified in the collection’s content.
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PersonAbraham Lincoln
Selected work associated with Abraham Lincoln.
START WITHLincoln’s Second Inaugural Address
HistoryLeadership
SpeechLincoln’s Second Inaugural Address
Compare the 1863 dedication to democracy with the 1865 reckoning over slavery and the obligations of peace.
EXPLORE THIS WORKAbraham Lincoln
HistoryLeadershipWords
BookThe Spirit of Laws
Two different forms of political thought: an extended study of institutions and a brief statement of democratic purpose.
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HistoryPolitical thought