what is the famous speech of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Greatest Speeches

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Abraham Lincoln's ability to write and deliver great speeches made him a rising star in national politics and propelled him to the White House.

And during his years in office, classic speeches, especially the Gettysburg Address and Lincoln 's Second Inaugural Address, helped to establish him as one of the greatest American presidents.

Follow the links below to read more about Lincoln's greatest speeches.

Lincoln's Lyceum Address

Addressing a local chapter of the American Lyceum Movement in Springfield, Illinois, a 28-year-old Lincoln delivered a surprisingly ambitious speech on a cold winter night in 1838.

The speech was entitled "The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions," and Lincoln, who had just been elected to local political office, spoke on matters of great national significance. He made allusions to a recent act of mob violence in Illinois, and also addressed the issue of enslavement.

Though Lincoln was talking to a smalltown audience of friends and neighbors, he seemed to have ambitions beyond Springfield and his position as a state representative.

The "House Divided" Speech

When Lincoln was nominated to be the candidate of the Illinois Republican Party for U.S. Senate he delivered a speech at the state convention on June 16, 1858. Reflecting the beliefs of his party at the time, the opposition to the spread of enslavement, he intended to speak of how the nation had pro-slavery states and free states. He wanted to use a phrase that his listeners would find familiar, so he utilized a quote from the Bible: "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

His speech is remembered as an eloquent statement of principles, yet it was criticized at the time. Some friends of Lincoln's thought the Biblical quote was inappropriate. His law partner had even advised him not to use it. But Lincoln trusted his instincts. He lost the election for Senate that year to the powerful incumbent, Stephen Douglas. But his speech that night in 1858 became memorable and may have helped him in his run for the presidency two years later.

Lincoln's Address at Cooper Union

In late February 1860, Abraham Lincoln took a series of trains from Springfield, Illinois to New York City. He had been invited to speak to a gathering of the Republican Party , a fairly new political party that was opposed to the spread of enslavement.

Lincoln had gained some fame while debating Stephen A. Douglas two years earlier in a Senate race in Illinois. But he was essentially unknown in the East. The speech he delivered at Cooper Union on February 27, 1860, would make him an overnight star, elevating him to the level of running for president.

Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

Abraham Lincoln's first inaugural address was delivered under circumstances never seen before or since, as the country was literally coming apart. Following Lincoln's election in November 1860 , pro-slavery states, outraged by his victory, began threatening to secede.

South Carolina left the Union in late December, and other states followed. By the time Lincoln delivered his inaugural address, he was facing the prospect of governing a fractured nation. Lincoln gave an intelligent speech, which was praised in the North and reviled in the South. And within a month the nation was at war.

The Gettysburg Address

In late 1863 President Lincoln was invited to give a brief address at the dedication of a military cemetery on the site of the Battle of Gettysburg , which had been fought the previous July.

Lincoln chose the occasion to make a major statement on the war, emphasizing that it was a just cause. His remarks were always intended to be fairly brief, and in crafting the speech Lincoln created a masterpiece of concise writing.

The entire text of the Gettysburg Address is less than 300 words, but it carried enormous impact, and remains one of the most quoted speeches in human history.

Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

Abraham Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address in March 1865, as the Civil War was reaching its end. With victory within sight, Lincoln was magnanimous, and issued a call for national reconciliation.

Lincoln's second inaugural stands as probably the best inaugural address ever, as well as being one of the best speeches ever delivered in the United States. The final paragraph, a single sentence beginning, "With malice toward none, with charity toward all..." is one of the most passages ever said by Abraham Lincoln.

He did not live to see the America he envisioned after the Civil War. Six weeks after delivering his brilliant speech, he was assassinated at Ford's Theatre.

Other Writings by Abraham Lincoln

Beyond his major speeches, Abraham Lincoln exhibited great facility with the language in other forums.

• The Lincoln-Douglas Debates were held in Illinois throughout the summer of 1858 as Lincoln ran for a U.S. Senate seat held by Stephen A. Douglas . In the series of seven debates each man would speak for up to an hour, so the format would be more like a speech than any debate we would see in modern times. Lincoln got off to a shaky start in the first debate, but eventually found his footing, and became, in the crucible of debating the skillful Douglas, an accomplished public speaker.
• The Emancipation Proclamation was written by Abraham Lincoln and signed into law on January 1, 1863. Lincoln had been waiting for a Union victory he felt would give him political clout to issue a proclamation freeing enslaved people, and turning back a Confederate invasion of the North at Antietam in September 1862 provided the desired circumstances. The Emancipation Proclamation did not actually free many enslaved people, as it only applied to enslaved people in states in rebellion to the United States, and it couldn't be enforced until territory was secured by the Union Army.
• Lincoln's proclamation of a National Day of Thanksgiving would not be considered a major piece of writing, yet it nicely illustrates Lincoln's style of expression. Lincoln was essentially lobbied to issue the proclamation by the editor of a popular magazine for women. And in the document, Lincoln reflects on the hardships of the war and encourages the nation to take a day off for reflection.
• The Five Best Inaugural Addresses of the 19th Century
• Abraham Lincoln Quotations Everyone Should Know
• The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858
• Election of 1860: Lincoln Became President at Time of Crisis
• The Road to the Civil War
• Biography of Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States
• The Civil War Year By Year
• Background and Significance of the Emancipation Proclamation
• Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address
• American History Timeline (1860 to 1870)
• Abraham Lincoln's 1838 Lyceum Address
• Lincoln's Cooper Union Address
• Abraham Lincoln Printables
• Facts and Myths About the Gettysburg Address
• The Corwin Amendment, Enslavement, and Abraham Lincoln
• How the Obama and Lincoln Presidencies Were Similar

A Summary and Analysis of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

Here’s a question for you. Who was the main speaker at the event which became known as the Gettysburg Address? If you answered ‘Abraham Lincoln’, this post is for you. For the facts of what took place on the afternoon of November 19, 1863, four and a half months after the Union armies defeated Confederate forces in the Battle of Gettysburg, have become shrouded in myth. And one of the most famous speeches in all of American history was not exactly a resounding success when it was first spoken.

What was the Gettysburg Address?

The Gettysburg Address is the name given to a short speech (of just 268 words) that the US President Abraham Lincoln delivered at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery (which is now known as Gettysburg National Cemetery) in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on 19 November 1863. At the time, the American Civil War was still raging, and the Battle of Gettysburg had been the bloodiest battle in the war, with an estimated 23,000 casualties.

Gettysburg Address: summary

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.

The opening words to the Gettysburg Address are now well-known. President Abraham Lincoln begins by harking back ‘four score and seven years’ – that is, eighty-seven years – to the year 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed and the nation known as the United States was founded.

The Declaration of Independence opens with the words: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’. Lincoln refers to these words in the opening sentence of his declaration.

However, when he uses the words, he is including all Americans – male and female (he uses ‘men’ here, but ‘man’, as the old quip has it, embraces ‘woman’) – including African slaves, whose liberty is at issue in the war. The Union side wanted to abolish slavery and free the slaves, whereas the Confederates, largely in the south of the US, wanted to retain slavery.

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.

Lincoln immediately moves to throw emphasis on the sacrifice made by all of the fallen soldiers who gave their lives at Gettysburg, and at other battles during the Civil War. He reminds his listeners that the United States is still a relatively young country, not even a century old yet.

Will it endure when it is already at war with itself? Can all Americans be convinced that every single one of them, including its current slaves, deserves what the Declaration of Independence calls ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’?

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.

Lincoln begins the third and final paragraph of the Gettysburg Address with a slight rhetorical flourish: the so-called rule of three, which entails listing three things in succession. Here, he uses three verbs which are roughly synonymous with each other – ‘dedicate’, ‘consecrate’, ‘hallow’ – in order to drive home the sacrifice the dead soldiers have made. It is not for Lincoln and the survivors to declare this ground hallowed: the soldiers who bled for their cause have done that through the highest sacrifice it is possible to make.

Note that this is the fourth time Lincoln has used the verb ‘dedicate’ in this short speech: ‘and dedicated to the proposition …’; ‘any nation so conceived and so dedicated …’; ‘We have come to dedicate a portion …’; ‘we can not dedicate …’. He will go on to repeat the word twice more before the end of his address.

Repetition is another key rhetorical device used in persuasive writing, and Lincoln’s speech uses a great deal of repetition like this.

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.

Lincoln concludes his address by urging his listeners to keep up the fight, so that the men who have died in battles such as the Battle of Gettysburg will not have given their lives in vain to a lost cause. He ends with a now-famous phrase (‘government of the people, by the people, for the people’) which evokes the principle of democracy , whereby nations are governed by elected officials and everyone has a say in who runs the country.

Gettysburg Address: analysis

The mythical aura surrounding the Gettysburg Address, like many iconic moments in American history, tends to obscure some of the more surprising facts from us. For example, on the day Lincoln delivered his famous address, he was not the top billing: the main speaker at Gettysburg on 19 November 1863 was not Abraham Lincoln but Edward Everett .

Everett gave a long – many would say overlong – speech, which lasted two hours . Everett’s speech was packed full of literary and historical allusions which were, one feels, there to remind his listeners how learned Everett was. When he’d finished, his exhausted audience of some 15,000 people waited for their President to address them.

Lincoln’s speech is just 268 words long, because he was intended just to wrap things up with a few concluding remarks. His speech lasted perhaps two minutes, contrasted with Everett’s two hours.

Afterwards, Lincoln remarked that he had ‘failed’ in his duty to deliver a memorable speech, and some contemporary newspaper reports echoed this judgment, with the Chicago Times summarising it as a few ‘silly, flat and dishwatery utterances’ before hinting that Lincoln’s speech was an embarrassment, especially coming from so high an office as the President of the United States.

But in time, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address would come to be regarded as one of the great historic American speeches. This is partly because Lincoln eschewed the high-flown allusions and wordy style of most political orators of the nineteenth century.

Instead, he wanted to address people directly and simply, in plain language that would be immediately accessible and comprehensible to everyone. There is something democratic , in the broadest sense, about Lincoln’s choice of plain-spoken words and to-the-point sentences. He wanted everyone, regardless of their education or intellect, to be able to understand his words.

In writing and delivering a speech using such matter-of-fact language, Lincoln was being authentic and true to his roots. He may have been attempting to remind his listeners that he belonged to the frontier rather than to the East, the world of Washington and New York and Massachusetts.

There are several written versions of the Gettysburg Address in existence. However, the one which is viewed as the most authentic, and the most frequently reproduced, is the one known as the Bliss Copy . It is this version which is found on the walls of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. It is named after Colonel Alexander Bliss, the stepson of historian George Bancroft.

Bancroft asked Lincoln for a copy to use as a fundraiser for soldiers, but because Lincoln wrote on both sides of the paper, the speech was illegible and could not be reprinted, so Lincoln made another copy at Bliss’s request. This is the last known copy of the speech which Lincoln himself wrote out, and the only one signed and dated by him, so this is why it is widely regarded as the most authentic.

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Presidential Speeches

November 19, 1863: gettysburg address, about this speech.

Abraham Lincoln

November 19, 1863

Four months after the Battle of Gettysburg, Lincoln joined in a dedication of a national cemetery on a portion of the battlefield. The speech he delivered that day would become one of the most famous speeches given by a U.S. President.

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

Gettysburg Address, 1863

At the site of one of the Civil War's pivotal battles, Lincoln delivered an address that was as succinct — just about three minutes and 265 words long —as it was memorable. As he helped dedicate a cemetery to Gettysburg's fallen soldiers, he issued a stirring plea for the country to pay them tribute by honoring principles — liberty, equality — worth dying for.

Best Line : "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."

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ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

Gettysburg address.

In the wake of the United States Civil War's deadliest battle, President Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. Now praised, this speech was not always seen this way.

Lincoln Giving Gettysburg Address

Lincoln delivered one of the most famous speeches in United States history at the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery on November 19, 1863.

Photograph of 1905 lithograph by Heritage Images

The Battle of Gettysburg was fought between July 1 and July 3, 1863. It was one of the bloodiest battles of the United States Civil War, with over 51,000 casualties—soldiers killed, injured, or otherwise lost to action—combined. Around 3,100 U.S. troops were killed, while 3,900 Confederates died. The U.S. victory there marked the turning point of the war. President Lincoln was asked to deliver a message at the dedication of the Gettysburg Civil War Cemetery on November 19, 1863. The featured speaker for the occasion was Edward Everett, a former dean of Harvard University, and one of the most famous orators of his day. He spoke for two hours. Then Lincoln delivered his message; it took two minutes. Lincoln tied the current struggle to the days of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, speaking of the principles that the nation was conceived in: liberty and the proposition that all men are created equal. Moreover, he tied both to the abolition of slavery —a new birth of freedom—and the maintenance of representative government. Despite (or perhaps because of) its brevity, since the speech was delivered, it has come to be recognized as one of the most powerful statements in the English language and, in fact, one of the most important expressions of freedom and liberty in any language. Indeed, Everett immediately afterward wrote to Lincoln that “I wish that I could flatter myself that I had come as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes.”

"Fourscore 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 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 here 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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Selected Speeches by Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

President Abraham Lincoln preserved the Union during the American Civil War and issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing enslaved people.

Quick Facts

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Abraham Lincoln was the 16 th president of the United States , serving from 1861 to 1865, and is regarded as one of America’s greatest heroes due to his roles in guiding the Union through the Civil War and working to emancipate enslaved people. His eloquent support of democracy and insistence that the Union was worth saving embody the ideals of self-government that all nations strive to achieve. In 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves across the Confederacy. Lincoln’s rise from humble beginnings to achieving the highest office in the land is a remarkable story, and his death is equally notably. He was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865, at age 56, as the country was slowly beginning to reunify following the war. Lincoln’s distinctively humane personality and incredible impact on the nation have endowed him with an enduring legacy.

FULL NAME: Abraham Lincoln BORN: February 12, 1809 DIED: April 15, 1865 BIRTHPLACE: Hodgenville, Kentucky SPOUSE: Mary Todd Lincoln (m. 1842) CHILDREN: Robert Todd Lincoln , Edward Baker Lincoln, William Wallace Lincoln, and Thomas “Tad” Lincoln ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aquarius HEIGHT: 6 feet 4 inches

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to parents Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks Lincoln in rural Hodgenville, Kentucky.

Thomas was a strong and determined pioneer who found a moderate level of prosperity and was well respected in the community. The couple had two other children: Lincoln’s older sister, Sarah, and younger brother, Thomas, who died in infancy. His death wasn’t the only tragedy the family would endure.

In 1817, the Lincolns were forced to move from young Abraham’s Kentucky birthplace to Perry County, Indiana, due to a land dispute. In Indiana, the family “squatted” on public land to scrap out a living in a crude shelter, hunting game and farming a small plot. Lincoln’s father was eventually able to buy the land.

When Lincoln was 9 years old, his 34-year-old mother died of tremetol, more commonly known as milk sickness, on October 5, 1818. The event was devastating to the young boy, who grew more alienated from his father and quietly resented the hard work placed on him at an early age.

In December 1819, just over a year after his mother’s death, Lincoln’s father Thomas married Sarah Bush Johnston, a Kentucky widow with three children of her own. She was a strong and affectionate woman with whom Lincoln quickly bonded.

Although both his parents were most likely illiterate, Thomas’ new wife Sarah encouraged Lincoln to read. It was while growing into manhood that Lincoln received his formal education—an estimated total of 18 months—a few days or weeks at a time.

Reading material was in short supply in the Indiana wilderness. Neighbors recalled how Lincoln would walk for miles to borrow a book. He undoubtedly read the family Bible and probably other popular books at that time such as Robinson Crusoe, Pilgrim’s Progres s, and Aesop’s Fable s.

In March 1830, the family again migrated, this time to Macon County, Illinois. When his father moved the family again to Coles County, 22-year-old Lincoln struck out on his own, making a living in manual labor.

Lincoln was 6 feet 4 inches tall, rawboned and lanky yet muscular and physically strong. He spoke with a backwoods twang and walked with a long-striding gait. He was known for his skill in wielding an ax and early on made a living splitting wood for fire and rail fencing.

Young Lincoln eventually migrated to the small community of New Salem, Illinois, where over a period of years he worked as a shopkeeper, postmaster, and eventually general store owner. It was through working with the public that Lincoln acquired social skills and honed a storytelling talent that made him popular with the locals.

Not surprising given his imposing frame, Lincoln was an excellent wrestler and had only one recorded loss—to Hank Thompson in 1832—over a span of 12 years. A shopkeeper who employed Lincoln in New Salem, Illinois, reportedly arranged bouts for him as a way to promote the business. Lincoln notably beat a local champion named Jack Armstrong and became somewhat of a hero. (The National Wrestling Hall of Fame posthumously gave Lincoln its Outstanding American Award in 1992.)

When the Black Hawk War broke out in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans, the volunteers in the area elected Lincoln to be their captain. He saw no combat during this time, save for “a good many bloody struggles with the mosquitoes,” but was able to make several important political connections.

As he was starting his political career in the early 1830s, Lincoln decided to become a lawyer. He taught himself the law by reading William Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England . After being admitted to the bar in 1837, he moved to Springfield, Illinois, and began to practice in the John T. Stuart law firm.

In 1844, Lincoln partnered with William Herndon in the practice of law. Although the two had different jurisprudent styles, they developed a close professional and personal relationship.

Lincoln made a good living in his early years as a lawyer but found that Springfield alone didn’t offer enough work. So to supplement his income, he followed the court as it made its rounds on the circuit to the various county seats in Illinois.

On November 4, 1842, Lincoln wed Mary Todd , a high-spirited, well-educated woman from a distinguished Kentucky family. Although they were married until Lincoln’s death, their relationship had a history of instability.

When the couple became engaged in 1840, many of their friends and family couldn’t understand Mary’s attraction; at times, Lincoln questioned it himself. In 1841, the engagement was suddenly broken off, most likely at Lincoln’s initiative. Mary and Lincoln met later at a social function and eventually did get married.

The couple had four sons— Robert Todd , Edward Baker, William Wallace, and Thomas “Tad”—of whom only Robert survived to adulthood.

Before marrying Todd, Lincoln was involved with other potential matches. Around 1837, he purportedly met and became romantically involved with Anne Rutledge. Before they had a chance to be engaged, a wave of typhoid fever came over New Salem, and Anne died at age 22.

Her death was said to have left Lincoln severely depressed. However, several historians disagree on the extent of Lincoln’s relationship with Rutledge, and his level of sorrow at her death might be more the makings of legend.

About a year after the death of Rutledge, Lincoln courted Mary Owens. The two saw each other for a few months, and marriage was considered. But in time, Lincoln called off the match.

In 1834, Lincoln began his political career and was elected to the Illinois state legislature as a member of the Whig Party . More than a decade later, from 1847 to 1849, he served a single term in the U.S. House of Representatives. His foray into national politics seemed to be as unremarkable as it was brief. He was the lone Whig from Illinois, showing party loyalty but finding few political allies.

As a congressman, Lincoln used his term in office to speak out against the Mexican-American War and supported Zachary Taylor for president in 1848. His criticism of the war made him unpopular back home, and he decided not to run for second term. Instead, he returned to Springfield to practice law.

By the 1850s, the railroad industry was moving west, and Illinois found itself becoming a major hub for various companies. Lincoln served as a lobbyist for the Illinois Central Railroad as its company attorney.

Success in several court cases brought other business clients as well, including banks, insurance companies, and manufacturing firms. Lincoln also worked in some criminal trials.

In one case, a witness claimed that he could identify Lincoln’s client who was accused of murder, because of the intense light from a full moon. Lincoln referred to an almanac and proved that the night in question had been too dark for the witness to see anything clearly. His client was acquitted.

As a member of the Illinois state legislature, Lincoln supported the Whig politics of government-sponsored infrastructure and protective tariffs. This political understanding led him to formulate his early views on slavery, not so much as a moral wrong, but as an impediment to economic development.

In 1854, Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act , which repealed the Missouri Compromise , allowing individual states and territories to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery. The law provoked violent opposition in Kansas and Illinois, and it gave rise to today’s Republican Party .

This awakened Lincoln’s political zeal once again, and his views on slavery moved more toward moral indignation. Lincoln joined the Republican Party in 1856.

In 1857, the Supreme Court issued its controversial Dred Scott decision, declaring Black people were not citizens and had no inherent rights. Although Lincoln felt Black people weren’t equal to whites, he believed America’s founders intended that all men were created with certain inalienable rights.

Lincoln decided to challenge sitting U.S. Senator Stephen Douglas for his seat. In his nomination acceptance speech, he criticized Douglas, the Supreme Court , and President James Buchanan for promoting slavery then declared “a house divided cannot stand.”

During Lincoln’s 1858 U.S. Senate campaign against Douglas, he participated in seven debates held in different cities across Illinois. The two candidates didn’t disappoint, giving stirring debates on issues such as states’ rights and western expansion. But the central issue was slavery.

Newspapers intensely covered the debates, often times with partisan commentary. In the end, the state legislature elected Douglas, but the exposure vaulted Lincoln into national politics.

With his newly enhanced political profile, in 1860, political operatives in Illinois organized a campaign to support Lincoln for the presidency. On May 18, at the Republican National Convention in Chicago, Lincoln surpassed better-known candidates such as William Seward of New York and Salmon P. Chase of Ohio. Lincoln’s nomination was due, in part, to his moderate views on slavery, his support for improving the national infrastructure, and the protective tariff.

In the November 1860 general election, Lincoln faced his friend and rival Stephen Douglas, this time besting him in a four-way race that included John C. Breckinridge of the Northern Democrats and John Bell of the Constitution Party. Lincoln received not quite 40 percent of the popular vote but carried 180 of 303 Electoral College votes, thus winning the U.S. presidency. He grew his trademark beard after his election.

Lincoln’s Cabinet

Following his election to the presidency in 1860, Lincoln selected a strong cabinet composed of many of his political rivals, including William Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, and Edwin Stanton.

Formed out the adage “Hold your friends close and your enemies closer,” Lincoln’s cabinet became one of his strongest assets in his first term in office, and he would need them as the clouds of war gathered over the nation the following year.

Before Lincoln’s inauguration in March 1861, seven Southern states had seceded from the Union, and by April, the U.S. military installation Fort Sumter was under siege in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. In the early morning hours of April 12, 1861, the guns stationed to protect the harbor blazed toward the fort, signaling the start of the U.S. Civil War , America’s costliest and bloodiest war.

The newly President Lincoln responded to the crisis wielding powers as no other president before him: He distributed $2 million from the Treasury for war material without an appropriation from Congress; he called for 75,000 volunteers into military service without a declaration of war; and he suspended the writ of habeas corpus, allowing for the arrest and imprisonment of suspected Confederate States sympathizers without a warrant.

Crushing the rebellion would be difficult under any circumstances, but the Civil War, after decades of white-hot partisan politics, was especially onerous. From all directions, Lincoln faced disparagement and defiance. He was often at odds with his generals, his cabinet, his party, and a majority of the American people.

On January 1, 1863, Lincoln delivered his official Emancipation Proclamation , reshaping the cause of the Civil War from saving the Union to abolishing slavery.

The Union Army’s first year and a half of battlefield defeats made it difficult to keep morale high and support strong for a reunification of the nation. And the Union victory at Antietam on September 22, 1862, while by no means conclusive, was hopeful. It gave Lincoln the confidence to officially change the goals of the war. On that same day, he issued a preliminary proclamation that slaves in states rebelling against the Union would be free as of January 1.

The Emancipation Proclamation stated that all individuals who were held as enslaved people in rebellious states “henceforward shall be free.” The action was more symbolic than effective because the North didn’t control any states in rebellion, and the proclamation didn’t apply to border states, Tennessee, or some Louisiana parishes.

As a result, the Union army shared the Proclamation’s mandate only after it had taken control of Confederate territory. In the far reaches of western Texas, that day finally came on June 19, 1865—more than two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation took effect. For decades, many Black Americans have celebrated this anniversary, known as Juneteenth or Emancipation Day, and in 2021, President Joe Biden made Juneteenth a national holiday.

Still, the Emancipation Proclamation did have some immediate impact. It permitted Black Americans to serve in the Union Army for the first time, which contributed to the eventual Union victory. The historic declaration also paved the way for the passage of the 13 th Amendment that ended legal slavery in the United States.

On November 19, 1863, Lincoln delivered what would become his most famous speech and one of the most important speeches in American history: the Gettysburg Address .

Addressing a crowd of around 15,000 people, Lincoln delivered his 272-word speech at one of the bloodiest battlefields of the Civil War, the Gettysburg National Cemetery in Pennsylvania. The Civil War, Lincoln said, was the ultimate test of the preservation of the Union created in 1776, and the people who died at Gettysburg fought to uphold this cause.

Lincoln evoked the Declaration of Independence , saying it was up to the living to ensure that the “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth,” and this Union was “dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

A common interpretation was that the president was expanding the cause of the Civil War from simply reunifying the Union to also fighting for equality and abolishing slavery.

Following Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, the war effort gradually improved for the North, though more by attrition than by brilliant military victories.

But by 1864, the Confederate armies had eluded major defeat and Lincoln was convinced he’d be a one-term president. His nemesis George B. McClellan , the former commander of the Army of the Potomac, challenged him for the presidency, but the contest wasn’t even close. Lincoln received 55 percent of the popular vote and 212 of 243 electoral votes.

On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee , commander of the Army of Virginia, surrendered his forces to Union General Ulysses S. Grant . The Civil War was for all intents and purposes over.

Reconstruction had already began during the Civil War, as early as 1863 in areas firmly under Union military control, and Lincoln favored a policy of quick reunification with a minimum of retribution. He was confronted by a radical group of Republicans in Congress that wanted complete allegiance and repentance from former Confederates. Before a political debate had any chance to firmly develop, Lincoln was killed.

Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865, by well-known actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre in Washington. Lincoln was taken to the Petersen House across the street and laid in a coma for nine hours before dying the next morning. He was 56. His death was mourned by millions of citizens in the North and South alike.

Lincoln’s body first lay in state at the U. S. Capitol. About 600 invited guests attended a funeral in the East Room of the White House on April 19, though an inconsolable Mary Todd Lincoln wasn’t present.

His body was transported to his final resting place in Springfield, Illinois, by a funeral train. Newspapers publicized the schedule of the train, which made stops along various cities that played roles in Lincoln’s path to Washington. In 10 cities, the casket was removed and placed in public for memorial services. Lincoln was finally placed in a tomb on May 4.

On the day of Lincoln’s death, Andrew Johnson was sworn in as the 17 th president at the Kirkwood House hotel in Washington.

Lincoln, already taller than most, is known for his distinctive top hats. Although it’s unclear when he began wearing them, historians believe he likely chose the style as a gimmick.

He wore a top hat to Ford’s Theatre on the night of his assassination. Following his death, the War Department preserved the hat until 1867 when, with Mary Todd Lincoln’s approval, it was transferred to the Patent Office and the Smithsonian Institution. Worried about the commotion it might cause, the Smithsonian stored the hat in a basement instead of putting it on display. It was finally exhibited in 1893, and it’s now one of the Institution’s most treasured items.

Lincoln is frequently cited by historians and average citizens alike as America’s greatest president. An aggressively activist commander-in-chief, Lincoln used every power at his disposal to assure victory in the Civil War and end slavery in the United States.

Some scholars doubt that the Union would have been preserved had another person of lesser character been in the White House. According to historian Michael Burlingame , “No president in American history ever faced a greater crisis and no president ever accomplished as much.”

Lincoln’s philosophy was perhaps best summed up in his Second Inaugural Address , when he stated, “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

The Lincoln Memorial

Since its dedication in 1922, the Lincoln Memorial in Washington has honored the president’s legacy. Inspired by the Greek Parthenon, the monument features a 19-foot high statue of Lincoln and engravings of the Gettysburg Address and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address. Former President William Howard Taft served as chair of the Lincoln Memorial Commission, which oversaw its design and construction.

The monument is the most visited in the city, attracting around 8 million people per year. Civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on the memorial’s steps in 1963.

Lincoln has been the subject of numerous films about his life and presidency, rooted in both realism and absurdity.

Among the earlier films featuring the former president is Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), which stars Henry Fonda and focuses on Lincoln’s early life and law career. A year later, Abe Lincoln in Illinois gave a dramatized account of Lincoln’s life after leaving Kentucky.

The most notable modern film is Lincoln , the 2012 biographical drama directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln and Sally Field as his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln . Day-Lewis won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance, and the film was nominated for Best Picture.

A more fantastical depiction of Lincoln came in the 1989 comedy film Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure , in which the titular characters played by Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter travel back in time for the president’s help in completing their high school history report. Lincoln gives the memorable instruction to “be excellent to each other and... party on, dudes!”

Another example is the 2012 action film Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter , based on a 2010 novel by Seth Grahame-Smith. Benjamin Walker plays Lincoln, who leads a secret double life hunting the immortal creatures and even fighting them during the Civil War.

Lincoln’s role during the Civil War is heavily explored in the 1990 Ken Burns documentary The Civil War , which won two Emmy Awards and two Grammys. In 2022, the History Channel aired a three-part docuseries about his life simply titled Abraham Lincoln .

• Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.
• I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly that events have controlled me.
• No man is good enough to govern another man, without that other ’ s consent.
• I have learned the value of old friends by making many new ones.
• Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
• Whenever I hear anyone arguing over slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.
• To give the victory to the right, not bloody bullets, but peaceful ballots only, are necessary.
• Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere. Destroy this spirit, and you have planted the seeds of despotism around your own doors.
• Don ’ t interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties.
• Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.
• With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation ’ s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan—to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.
• I walk slowly, but I never walk backward.
• Nearly all men can handle adversity, if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.
• I ’ m the big buck of this lick. If any of you want to try it, come on and whet your horns.
• We can complain because rose bushes have thorns.
• Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?
• It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.

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Tyler Piccotti first joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor in February 2023, and before that worked almost eight years as a newspaper reporter and copy editor. He is a graduate of Syracuse University. When he's not writing and researching his next story, you can find him at the nearest amusement park, catching the latest movie, or cheering on his favorite sports teams.

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Speech Analysis: Gettysburg Address – Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is one of the most famous, most quoted, and most recited speeches of all time . It is also one of the shortest among its peers at just 10 sentences.

In this article, we examine five key lessons which you can learn from Lincoln’s speech and apply to your own speeches.

This is the latest in a series of  speech critiques  here on  Six Minutes .

Speech Critique – Gettysburg Address – Abraham Lincoln

I encourage you to:

• Watch  the video with a recitation by Jeff Daniels;
• Read  the analysis in this speech critique, as well as the speech transcript below; and
• Share  your thoughts on this speech in  the comment section .

Lesson #1 – Anchor Your Arguments Solidly

When trying to persuade your audience, one of the strongest techniques you can use is to anchor your arguments to statements which your audience believes in. Lincoln does this twice in his first sentence:

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 . [1]

Among the beliefs which his audience held, perhaps none were stronger than those put forth in the Bible and Declaration of Independence. Lincoln knew this, of course, and included references to both of these documents.

First,  Psalm 90 verse 10  states:

The days of our years are threescore years and ten …

(Note: a “score” equals 20 years. So, the verse is stating that a human life is about 70 years.)

Therefore, Lincoln’s “Four score and seven years ago” was a Biblically evocative way of tracing backwards eighty-seven years to the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. That document contains the following famous line:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal , that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

By referencing both the Bible and the Declaration of Independence, Lincoln is signalling that if his audience trusts the words in those documents (they did!), then they should trust his words as well.

How can you use this lesson?  When trying to persuade your audience, seek out principles on which you agree and beliefs which you share. Anchor your arguments from that solid foundation.

Lesson #2 – Employ Classic Rhetorical Devices

Lincoln employed simple techniques which transformed his words from bland to poetic. Two which we’ll look at here are triads and contrast.

First, he uttered two of the most famous triads ever spoken:

• “…we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground.” [6]
• “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” [10]
• “… for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live .” [4] (the death of the soldiers contrasts with the life of the nation)
• “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here , but it can never forget what they did here .” [8] ( remember contrasts forget ; say contrasts did )

How can you use this lesson?  While the stately prose of Lincoln’s day may not be appropriate for your next speech, there is still much to be gained from weaving rhetorical devices into your speech. A few well-crafted phrases often serve as memorable sound bites, giving your words an extended life.

Lesson #3 – Repeat Your Most Important Words

“ When trying to persuade your audience, seek out principles on which you agree and beliefs which you share. Anchor your arguments from that solid foundation. ”

In the first lesson, we’ve seen how words can be used to anchor arguments by referencing widely held beliefs.

In the second lesson, we’ve seen how words can be strung together to craft rhetorical devices.

Now, we’ll turn our attention to the importance of repeating individual words. A word-by-word analysis of the Gettysburg Address reveals the following words are repeated:

• we: 10 times
• here: 8 times
• dedicate (or dedicated): 6 times
• nation: 5 times

While this may not seem like much, remember that his entire speech was only 271 words.

By repetitive use of these words, he drills his central point home: Like the men who died here , we must dedicate ourselves to save our  nation .

• “we” creates a bond with the audience (it’s not about you or I, it’s about us together)
• “here” casts Gettysburg as the springboard to propel them forward
• “dedicate” is more powerful than saying “we must try to do this”
• “nation” gives the higher purpose

How can you use this lesson?  Determine the words which most clearly capture your central argument. Repeat them throughout your speech, particularly in your conclusion and in conjunction with other rhetorical devices. Use these words in your marketing materials, speech title, speech introduction, and slides as well. Doing so will make it more likely that your audience will [a] “get” your message and [b] remember it.

Lesson #4 – Use a Simple Outline

The Gettysburg Address employs a simple and straightforward three part speech outline : past, present, future.

• Past : The speech begins 87 years in the past, with the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the formation of a new nation. [1]
• Present : The speech then describes the present context: the civil war, a great battlefield (Gettysburg), and a dedication ceremony. The new nation is being tested. [2-8]
• Future : Lincoln paints a picture of the future where the promise of the new nation is fully realized through a desirable relationship between government and the people. [9-10]

How can you use this lesson?  When organizing your content, one of the best approaches is one of the simplest. Go chronological.

• Start in the past, generally at a moment of relative prosperity or happiness.
• Explain how your audience came to the present moment. Describe the challenge, the conflict, or the negative trend.
• Finally, describe a more prosperous future, one that can be realized if your audience is persuaded to action by you.

Lesson #5 – State a Clear Call-to-Action

The final sentences of the Gettysburg Address are a rallying cry for Lincoln’s audience. Although the occasion of the gathering is to dedicate a war memorial (a purpose to which Lincoln devotes many words in the body of his speech), that is not Lincoln’s full purpose. He calls his audience to “be dedicated here to the unfinished work” [8], to not let those who died to “have died in vain” [10]. He implores them to remain committed to the ideals set forth by the nation’s founding fathers.

How can you use this lesson?  The hallmark of a persuasive speech is a clear call-to-action. Don’t hint at what you want your audience to do. Don’t imply. Don’t suggest. Clearly state the actions that, if taken, will lead your audience to success and prosperity.

Speech Transcript – Gettysburg Address – Abraham Lincoln

[1] 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.

[2] Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.

[3] We are met on a great battle-field of that war.

[4] 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.

[5] It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

[6] But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground.

[7] The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.

[8] The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.

[9] 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.

[10] 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.

Other Critiques of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address

For further reading, you may enjoy these excellent analyses:

• Nick Morgan — The greatest 250-word speech ever written
• John Zimmer — The Gettysburg Address: An Analysis
• Christopher Graham — A poetical analysis of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address

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19 comments.

Hi Andrew, Wonderful insights and tools about how speakers can have an effective profound impact on their listeners. I always like reading your entries.

Thank you for this. I will use this and the other speech critiques with my clients. I just finished reading The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs just a week before his death… we can learn so much from these great presenters.

What an excellent and timely analysis of Lincoln’s address. I especially appreciated your thoughts on Lincoln’s rhetorical devices. In our age of technology and it’s pragmatic focus on precision, efficiency and productivity, the poetic and reflective communicators stand out. I have really enjoyed your blog and resources. Thanks, Andrew. I’ll be back!

I think that Lincoln was a compelling speaker who was able to contrast the negative with positive. His ability to be passionate, to me, shows his genuine sincerity about what he speaks. He really believed in equality for all and it was expressed in his words and their tone. What I took away as important for the speaker is to know your audience and what will move them to action. I think Lincoln was an inspiring speaker that spoke from his heart.This is a truly wonderful way to address others whether or not you are using public speaking as a forum.

Am teaching this right now and your article on the Gettysburg Address dovetails with what I am trying to teach really well. Am going to a link to my blog. Thanks. Dave

Abraham Lincoln’s speeches are always compelling, but this is address is by far my favorite. His way to deliver and emphasize on hi significant points is powerful.

I would like to use this 2011 analysis “Speech Analysis: Gettysburg Address – Abraham Lincoln” in an upcoming academic presentation. Anyone know a way to get the author’s permission?

Wow, I am impressed and learned so much about using past and present then future references. Ab Lincoln was a lyrical genius

Thank you so much for your website–you have so many wonderful resources! You have helped me with several ideas for a new speech and debate class that I am teaching to 8th graders next year!

Andrew, I saw your FB link to this post and am so happy to have followed the link. As always, your points are right on the money, and provide lots of useful suggestions that all of us can incorporate. It’s amazing what Lincoln conveyed in a mere 271 (or should I say “13 score and 11?”) words, and I like how you broke it into 10 sentences to make it easier to examine.

It’s very interesting to break down speech over 100 years old and see why Abraham Lincoln was one of the best speakers, persuaders, and leaders of our country.

He certainly was.

Andrew, Your analysis of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and tips for speech writing is superb. One thought. I seem to recall discussion of the word “that” in various critical treatments of the GA. I believe Gary Wills gives emphasis to the repetition of “that,” which amounts to 12 times. I recite the GA from memory about twice a month, probably for the last 25 years. I do the same with a number of poems also. I recently ran for Congress in Maryland’s 8th Congressional District. So I have referred to my website above. I used to be a college professor. I’d be interested to share other thoughts about Lincoln and the GA. I discussed Bruce Miroff and his Lincoln in my recent book, “Leveraging: A Political, Economic and Societal Framework,” (Springer, 2014) I taught Gary Miroff and David Donald on Lincoln at GW’s GSPM for 12 years also. Coincidentially, I just met an MP from BC, MP Sarai, at the National Governors Association Meeting in Des Moines in July. Hope to hear from you. Best, Dave Anderson

The advice that I found most helpful in this example is the second tip given: “Employ Classic Rhetorical Devices”. I have heard this said many times in many ways, but Lincoln’s speech lended itself extremely well as an example of this advice. The power and the memorability of this speech lies in the phrases that used rhetorical devices. Since Lincoln did this so well, his speech and his ideas lived long past his own death. I also appreciated the first piece of advice that tells readers to anchor their arguments. Building credibility and gaining the trust of audience members is incredibly important whilst giving a speech, especially if your speech is asking your audience to perform a task. If they do not relate to or trust you, your request will remain untouched.

This was an excellent analysis of Abraham Lincolns speech, and gave several useful tips that every public speaker and even presenter can use is his or her own speeches to make sure that their presentation is as effective as it possibly can be. Presentations can be powerful if they are presented in the correct way.

From these 5 lessons, the ones that stood out to me were anchoring your arguments towards your audiences beliefs, the repetition of strong words and outlining the speech from past to future.

I found it incredibly interesting that it is useful to say your most important words multiple times throughout your speech. This was interesting to me because in most of my communication and literature classes, I was told not to repeat myself and only speak, or write, new ideas or concepts that will build your main points.

I found this article extremely helpful. It introduced me to ideas I ever pondered when experimenting with speeches such as repetitive use of your most important words. It also showed how rhetorical devices can enhance your speech and make it very memorable to the audience. Lastly, I learned that organizing your speech to go from past, present, then future helps grab your audiences attention and get your idea across very clearly.

2. I thought the idea of using a message that an audience already believes in, such as Abraham Lincoln quoting the Bible and Declaration of Independence, is a very effective way of capturing the audience’s attention and persuading them to agree with your message. I also believe that having a simple outline is and a clear call to action makes it easier to write a speech and easier for the audience to understand your point and decide whether they agree with you.

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Abraham Lincoln’s Most Influential Speeches

Abraham Lincoln lived at a time when, according to historian and famed Lincoln biographer Doris Kearns Goodwin , speech-making prowess was central to political success, and the spoken word filled the air “from sun-up til sun-down.”

The following speeches by Abraham Lincoln represent a timespan of 27 years, during which Lincoln went from a relative unknown in Springfield, Illinois, to President of the United States.

Some of these speeches are famous; the Gettysburg Address and House Divided speech are famous Lincoln speeches of particular note. Some of them were delivered during the American Civil War; the First Inaugural Address and Last Public Address, among others, take these honors. And some of them speak of freedom and Lincoln’s views on American’s original sin, slavery; the Peoria Speech and Cooper Union Address draw heavy influence from these areas.

During the course of his life Abraham Lincoln is said to have given hundreds of speeches; a product of having started young and, of course, winning the American presidency. As Goodwin notes of early Abraham Lincoln speeches, “Lincoln’s stirring oratory had earned the admiration of a far-flung audience who had either heard him speak or read his speeches in the paper. As his reputation grew, the invitations to speak multiplied.”

Arguably one of, if not the, greatest ever president of the United States (much of which is attributed to the quality of his character ), Abraham Lincoln’s speeches are as quotable as they are important. (If you’re interested in reading a collection of famous Abraham Lincoln quotes I have you covered.)

The below speeches by Abraham Lincoln are ten of his most influential.

Abraham Lincoln Speeches

Click on each of the Abraham Lincoln speeches below to read the background to it; where and when it was delivered, and how it was received by those who were in the audience, or simply scroll down this page to read each speech one-by-one.

Lyceum Address (1938)

Temperance address (1842), peoria speech (1854).

• House Divided (1858)

Cooper Union Address (1860)

Farewell address (1861), address in independence hall (1861), first inaugural address (1861), the gettysburg address (1863), last public address (1865).

Given when he was only twenty-eight years old, Abraham Lincoln’s speech at the Young Men’s Lyceum in Springfield, Illinois on January 27, 1838, is notable for being one of Lincoln’s first published speeches, as well as the speech that highlighted some of the ideas that he would bring to light in future speeches and, later, policy decisions.

Entitled The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions, Lincoln’s Lyceum Address centered on the threat posed by social disorder. “This topic was a conventional one for these lyceum meetings, where aspiring young men of the town tested their rhetorical skill and improved their elocution before their peers,” notes historian and biographer of Abraham Lincoln David Herbert Donald . “But Lincoln developed [his speech] in a highly personal way.”

While it’s been argued that the first half of Lincoln’s Lyceum Address employed standard Whig rhetoric of the day , the second half looked more toward the future; a future in which less stead is given to emotion in favor of cold-hard reasoning, or as Lincoln put it, carved “from the solid quarry of sober reason.”

Lyceum Address Excerpt

If the laws be continually despised and disregarded, if their rights to be secure in their persons and property, are held by no better tenure than the caprice of a mob, the alienation of their affections from the Government is the natural consequence; and to that, sooner or later, it must come. Here then, is one point at which danger may be expected. The question recurs, “how shall we fortify against it?” The answer is simple. Let every American, every lover of liberty, every well wisher to his posterity, swear by the blood of the Revolution, never to violate in the least particular, the laws of the country; and never to tolerate their violation by others. As the patriots of seventy-six did to the support of the Declaration of Independence, so to the support of the Constitution and Laws, let every American pledge his life, his property, and his sacred honor;–let every man remember that to violate the law, is to trample on the blood of his father, and to tear the character of his own, and his children’s liberty. Let reverence for the laws, be breathed by every American mother, to the lisping babe, that prattles on her lap–let it be taught in schools, in seminaries, and in colleges; let it be written in Primers, spelling books, and in Almanacs;–let it be preached from the pulpit, proclaimed in legislative halls, and enforced in courts of justice. And, in short, let it become the political religion of the nation; and let the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the grave and the gay, of all sexes and tongues, and colors and conditions, sacrifice unceasingly upon its altars.

Abraham Lincoln’s Temperance Address was given to the Springfield Washington Temperance Society in the Second Presbyterian Church in Springfield, Illinois on February 22, 1842.

While the Springfield Washington Temperance Society was not a religious organization, the location for Lincoln’s address meant that when the thirty-three-year-old started to advocate reason and kindness as a solution to alcoholism , he caused quite a stir with his audience. This aside, the speech showed a great early grasp from the future president of how to use rhetorical techniques in order to properly move listeners to his cause.

Temperance Address Excerpt

Although the Temperance cause has been in progress for near twenty years, it is apparent to all, that it is, just now, being crowned with a degree of success, hitherto unparalleled. The list of its friends is daily swelled by the additions of fifties, of hundreds, and of thousands. The cause itself seems suddenly transformed from a cold abstract theory, to a living, breathing, active, and powerful chieftain, going forth “conquering and to conquer.” The citadels of his great adversary are daily being stormed and dismantled; his temple and his altars, where the rites of his idolatrous worship have long been performed, and where human sacrifices have long been wont to be made, are daily desecrated and deserted. The trump of the conqueror’s fame is sounding from hill to hill, from sea to sea, and from land to land, and calling millions to his standard at a blast. For this new and splendid success, we heartily rejoice...

Perhaps the greatest antislavery speech of his career (or at the very least, the greatest antislavery speech of his pre-presidential career), Lincoln delivered the contents of his famed Peoria Speech twice; once on October 4, 1954 at the annual State Fair in Springfield, Illinois, and again on October 16 of the same year in Peoria, Illinois.

Presenting for more than three hours, in the Peoria speech Lincoln spoke of his objections to the Kansas-Nebraska Act . Unlike those in favor, Lincoln did not believe that climate and geography would keep slavery out of the Territory of Nebraska, an area of land that consisted of the present-day states of Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, and the Dakotas.

During the Peoria speech Lincoln also “attacked the morality of slavery itself.” He argued that as slaves were people, rather than animals, they possess the same natural rights as all others. As Lincoln notes during the speech, “If the negro is a man, why then my ancient faith teaches me that all men are created equal; and that there can be no moral right in connection with one man’s making a slave of another.”

Peoria Speech Excerpt

The repeal of the Missouri Compromise, and the propriety of its restoration, constitute the subject of what I am about to say. As I desire to present my own connected view of this subject, my remarks will not be, specifically, an answer to Judge Douglas; yet, as I proceed, the main points he has presented will arise, and will receive such respectful attention as I may be able to give them. I wish further to say, that I do not propose to question the patriotism, or to assail the motives of any man, or class of men; but rather to strictly confine myself to the naked merits of the question...

House Divided Speech (1858)

Four years after his Peoria Speech , Lincoln found himself running against Democrat Stephen A. Douglas as the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in the state of Illinois; the same Stephen A. Douglas who had presented the Kansas-Nebraska Act to the senate four years earlier.

Delivered on June 16, 1858 to more than 1,000 delegates in the Hall of Representatives of the Springfield, Illinois, statehouse, Abraham Lincoln’s House Divided speech was immediately considered too radical for a candidate for the U.S. Senate. Containing the famed “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” quote which Lincoln plucked from the Gospel of Mark 3:25, in which Jesus states, “And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand,” the speech ultimately did Lincoln no favors in the short term, with friends, including Lincoln’s law partner, William H. Herndon , noting that while the speech showed great morality , it was politically incorrect. (Years later, Herndon is quoted as saying that despite Lincoln’s defeat in his race for the Senate, be believed the House Divided speech helped to make Lincoln president.)

House Divided Excerpt

Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Convention. If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it. We are now far into the fifth year, since a policy was initiated, with the avowed object, and confident promise, of putting an end to slavery agitation. Under the operation of that policy, that agitation has not only, not ceased, but has constantly augmented. In my opinion, it will not cease, until a crisis shall have been reached, and passed. "A house divided against itself cannot stand." I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved -- I do not expect the house to fall -- but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other...

Originally slated to take place at Henry Ward Beecher’s Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, but quickly moved, thanks to a sponsorship by the Young Men’s Central Republican Union , to the newly-built Cooper Union in Manhattan, Lincoln famously did not make much of a first impression on his audience upon getting up on stage.

“The long, ungainly figure, upon which hung clothes that while new for the trip, were evidently the work of an unskilled tailor; the large feet; the clumsy hands, of which... the orator seemed to be unduly conscious; the long, gaunt head capped by a shock of hair that seemed not to have been thoroughly brushed out,” noted publisher George Haven Putnam, of Lincoln’s appearance.

Abraham Lincoln’s speech, on the contrary, made all the difference. Given on February 27, 1860, Lincoln spent a good portion of his Cooper Union Address taking shots at Stephen A. Douglas and his 1857 Kansas-Nebraska Act, nothing that he [Lincoln] had gone through the records of the Constitution Convention and early debates in Congress and it was clear that of the thirty-nine signers of the United States Constitution, twenty-one took votes demonstrating that the federal government had the power to control slavery within its territories, with a number of other men, including Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton, having also expressed leanings in this direction, though having not voted on it. (The Kansas-Nebraska Act argued that the territories of Kansas and Nebraska should be allowed to decide for themselves if they were to become slave states or not; a repeal of the Missouri Compromise of 1820.)

Further examining the Southern position on slavery, David Herbert Donald described Lincoln’s Cooper Union Address as “A masterful exploration of the political paths open to the nation,” and the journalist Noah Brooks exclaimed that Lincoln was “the greatest man since St. Paul.”

Lincoln's Cooper Union Address was quickly published as a pamphlet after the fact, with the speech being printed in a number of newspapers.

Cooper Union Address Excerpt

The facts with which I shall deal this evening are mainly old and familiar; nor is there anything new in the general use I shall make of them. If there shall be any novelty, it will be in the mode of presenting the facts, and the inferences and observations following that presentation. In his speech last autumn, at Columbus, Ohio, as reported in "The New-York Times," Senator Douglas said: "Our fathers, when they framed the Government under which we live, understood this question just as well, and even better, than we do now." I fully indorse this, and I adopt it as a text for this discourse. I so adopt it because it furnishes a precise and an agreed starting point for a discussion between Republicans and that wing of the Democracy headed by Senator Douglas. It simply leaves the inquiry: “What was the understanding those fathers had of the question mentioned?”

Praised for its humility, Abraham Lincoln’s Farewell Address was given as he was boarding a presidential train at the Great Western Railroad station, in Springfield, Illinois on February 11, 1861, to start his inaugural journey to Washington, D.C.

Along the course of his inaugural journey Lincoln’s train would make numerous stops, and he would speak at many of them, including at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

Farewell Address Excerpt

My friends, no one, not in my situation, can appreciate my feeling of sadness at this parting. To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe everything. Here I have lived a quarter of a century, and have passed from a young to an old man. Here my children have been born, and one is buried. I now leave, not knowing when, or whether ever, I may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon Washington. Without the assistance of the Divine Being who ever attended him, I cannot succeed. With that assistance I cannot fail...

Abraham Lincoln’s Address in Independence Hall was given on February 22, 1861 as Lincoln passed through Philadelphia on his inaugural journey to Washington, D.C.

Independence Hall , famous as the site in which the Declaration of Independence had been signed some 85 years before, was also one of several locations in which Lincoln’s body lay in state after his 1865 assassination.

Address in Independence Hall Excerpt

I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence. I have often pondered over the dangers which were incurred by the men who assembled here, and framed and adopted that Declaration of Independence. I have pondered over the toils that were endured by the officers and soldiers of the army who achieved that Independence. I have often inquired of myself, what great principle or idea it was that kept this Confederacy so long together. It was not the mere matter of the separation of the Colonies from the motherland; but that sentiment in the Declaration of Independence which gave liberty, not alone to the people of this country, but, I hope, to the world, for all future time.

On March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln and James Buchanan , the outgoing fifteenth president of the United States, began the drive down Pennsylvania Avenue to the United States Capitol under the watch of sharpshooters and numerous companies of soldiers lining the blocked-off streets.

After attending the swearing in of his Vice President, Hannibal Hamlin , Lincoln was introduced to the stage to deliver his inaugural address and be delivered the oath of office by the eighty-three year old Chief Justice Roger B. Taney .

While some speeches of Lincoln’s are famed for their opening, Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address is more famous for its closing, which incorporated ideas from Lincoln’s one-time political rival, and soon to become his two-term Secretary of State, William H. Seward . Like much of the speech, which was written in Springfield, Illinois and shown to several of Lincoln’s friends and associates prior to its reading, Seward believed the closing of the speech to be too too strong. Despite making Seward’s, and others’, changes, reaction to the speech in the Confederacy was fierce, with the Richmond Dispatch saying that Lincoln’s speech had “inaugurat[ed] civil war.”

First Inaugural Excerpt

In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The government will not assail you. You can have no conflict, without being yourselves the aggressors. You have no oath registered in Heaven to destroy the government, while I shall have the most solemn one to "preserve, protect and defend" it. I am loth to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battle-field, and patriot grave, to every living heart and heath-stone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.

On November 19, 1863, Lincoln travelled to Gettysburg to dedicate the new Union cemetery. While Edward Everett of Massachusetts was the featured speaker, Lincoln was invited almost as an afterthought to give a few remarks. Everett spoke for almost two hours, then it was Lincoln’s turn.

At just 269 words, Abraham Lincoln’s speech at Gettysburg is famous for being one of the shortest, yet most powerful, speeches given during the American Civil War. Former congressman from Missouri James W. Symington noted of Lincoln during a Ken Burns documentary for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS): “If I had my choice of all the moments to be present in that war period it would have been at Gettysburg during Lincoln’s delivery of his speech... to have seen him craft those beautiful words; those enormous, healing words, and then deliver them. They were for everyone, for all time. They subsumed the entire war and all in it; it showed his compassion for everyone; his love for his people. That’s where I’d like to be.”

Gettysburg Address Excerpt

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...

Abraham Lincoln’s Last Public Address would have been considered significant even if it had not been his last. Taking place just two days after the surrender of General Robert E. Lee’s Confederate army, Lincoln’s speech on April 11, 1865 was given from the second-floor balcony of the North Portico of the White House to a cheering, jubilant crowd down below.

While it’s been argued that the majority of the speech wasn’t especially inspired—Lincoln himself was feeling more somber and aware of the task ahead, that of reconstruction, than his audience—the second half of the speech, in which Lincoln for the first time expressed his public support for black suffrage, ultimately sealed his fate.

After speaking the words, “It is unsatisfactory to some that the elective franchise is not given to the colored man. I would myself prefer that it were now conferred on the very intelligent, and on those who serve our cause as soldiers,” John Wilkes Booth , the brother of famed actor Edwin Booth (of whom Lincoln had seen perform on numerous occasions), watching from the crowd outside the White House, is said to have vowed to his companion, “That means n— citizenship! Now, by God, I’ll put him through. That is the last speech he will ever make.” Three days later, Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln.

Last Public Address Excerpt

We meet this evening, not in sorrow, but in gladness of heart. The evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond, and the surrender of the principal insurgent army, give hope of a righteous and speedy peace whose joyous expression can not be restrained. In the midst of this, however, He from whom all blessings flow, must not be forgotten. A call for a national thanksgiving is being prepared, and will be duly promulgated. Nor must those whose harder part gives us the cause of rejoicing, be overlooked. Their honors must not be parcelled out with others. I myself was near the front, and had the high pleasure of transmitting much of the good news to you; but no part of the honor, for plan or execution, is mine. To Gen. Grant, his skilful officers, and brave men, all belongs. The gallant Navy stood ready, but was not in reach to take active part. By these recent successes the re-inauguration of the national authority – reconstruction – which has had a large share of thought from the first, is pressed much more closely upon our attention. It is fraught with great difficulty. Unlike a case of a war between independent nations, there is no authorized organ for us to treat with...

If you enjoyed this collection of the ten most influential speeches by Abraham Lincoln, please be sure to share it on social media, link to it from your website, or bookmark it so you can come back to it often.

If you’re interested in hearing more from me, be sure to subscribe to my free email newsletter , of which Abraham Lincoln (and the character traits and values in which he embodied) are a frequent topic of conversation. ∎

Benjamin Spall

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Lincoln speech on slavery and the American Dream, 1858

A spotlight on a primary source by abraham lincoln.

In this manuscript, a fragment from one of Lincoln’s speeches during the 1858 Illinois Senate race against Stephen Douglas, Lincoln advances the fundamental truth to which all creatures are entitled, declaring that even a slave kept in ignorance "does constantly know that he is wronged." And he uses economic logic against slavery, arguing that in freedom "the weak . . . grow stronger, the ignorant, wiser; and all better, and happier together." Lincoln also says of those who strive "to prove slavery a very good thing, we never hear of the man who wishes to take the good of it, by being a slave himself. "

In these twenty-seven lines, Lincoln invokes the nation’s founding principles to stress the injustice of slavery, and in the course defines the American Dream, declaring, " Most governments have been based, practically, on the denial of the equal rights of men, as I have, in part, stated them; ours began, by affirming those rights."

A full  transcript  is available.

[evi-]dent truth. Made so plain by our good Father in Heaven, that all feel and understand it, even down to brutes and creeping insects. The ant, who has toiled and dragged a crumb to his nest, will furiously defend the fruit of his labor, against whatever robber assails him. So plain, that the most dumb and stupid slave that ever toiled for a master, does constantly know that he is wronged. So plain that no one, high or low, ever does mistake it, except in a plainly selfish way; for although volume upon volume is written to prove slavery a very good thing, we never hear of the man who wishes to take the good of it, by being a slave himself .

Most governments have been based, practically, on the denial of the equal rights of men, as I have, in part, stated them; ours began, by affirming those rights. They said, some men are too ignorant , and vicious , to share in government. Possibly so, said we; and, by your system, you would always keep them ignorant and vicious. We proposed to give all a chance; and we expected the weak to grow stronger, the ignorant, wiser; and all better, and happier together.

We made the experiment; and the fruit is before us. Look at it. Think of it. Look at it, in its aggregate grandeur, of extent of country, and numbers of population, of ship, and steamboat, and rail-

Questions for Discussion

Read the document introduction, view the image, and read the transcript. Then apply your knowledge of American history in order to answer the questions that follow.

• How does Lincoln attempt to destroy the arguments of those who defended slavery and claimed that it was “a very good thing”?
• Why does Lincoln consider the American system far superior to most other governments?
• Explain the benefits Lincoln outlines, and add your own, when citizens are provided with equal opportunity.

A printer-friendly version is available  here .

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Abraham Lincoln

By: History.com Editors

Updated: February 7, 2024 | Original: October 29, 2009

Abraham Lincoln , a self-taught lawyer, legislator and vocal opponent of slavery, was elected 16th president of the United States in November 1860, shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War. Lincoln proved to be a shrewd military strategist and a savvy leader: His Emancipation Proclamation paved the way for slavery’s abolition, while his Gettysburg Address stands as one of the most famous pieces of oratory in American history. 

In April 1865, with the Union on the brink of victory, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln’s assassination made him a martyr to the cause of liberty, and he is widely regarded as one of the greatest presidents in U.S. history.

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in a one-room log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky . His family moved to southern Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal schooling was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he had to work constantly to support his family.

In 1830, his family moved to Macon County in southern Illinois , and Lincoln got a job working on a river flatboat hauling freight down the Mississippi River to New Orleans . After settling in the town of New Salem, Illinois, where he worked as a shopkeeper and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics as a supporter of the Whig Party , winning election to the Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay and Daniel Webster , Lincoln opposed the spread of slavery to the territories, and had a grand vision of the expanding United States, with a focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Did you know? The war years were difficult for Abraham Lincoln and his family. After his young son Willie died of typhoid fever in 1862, the emotionally fragile Mary Lincoln, widely unpopular for her frivolity and spendthrift ways, held seances in the White House in the hopes of communicating with him, earning her even more derision.

Lincoln taught himself law, passing the bar examination in 1836. The following year, he moved to the newly named state capital of Springfield. For the next few years, he worked there as a lawyer and served clients ranging from individual residents of small towns to national railroad lines.

He met Mary Todd , a well-to-do Kentucky belle with many suitors (including Lincoln’s future political rival, Stephen Douglas ), and they married in 1842. The Lincolns went on to have four children together, though only one would live into adulthood: Robert Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Thomas “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following year. As a congressman, Lincoln was unpopular with many Illinois voters for his strong stance against the Mexican-American War. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back into national politics, however: Douglas, a leading Democrat in Congress, had pushed through the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than the federal government, had the right to decide whether the territory should be slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large crowd in Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension and calling the institution a violation of the most basic tenets of the Declaration of Independence .

With the Whig Party in ruins, Lincoln joined the new Republican Party–formed largely in opposition to slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for the seat in 1855 as well). In June, Lincoln delivered his now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels to illustrate his belief that “this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free.”

Lincoln then squared off against Douglas in a series of famous debates; though he lost the Senate election, Lincoln’s performance made his reputation nationally. 

Abraham Lincoln’s 1860 Presidential Campaign

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher in early 1860 after he delivered another rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing over Senator William H. Seward of New York and other powerful contenders in favor of the rangy Illinois lawyer with only one undistinguished congressional term under his belt.

In the general election, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; southern Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Union Party. With Breckenridge and Bell splitting the vote in the South, Lincoln won most of the North and carried the Electoral College to win the White House .

He built an exceptionally strong cabinet composed of many of his political rivals, including Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates and Edwin M. Stanton .

Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War

After years of sectional tensions, the election of an antislavery northerner as the 16th president of the United States drove many southerners over the brink. By the time Lincoln was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America .

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Union ships to supply the federal Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates fired on both the fort and the Union fleet, beginning the Civil War . Hopes for a quick Union victory were dashed by defeat in the Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) , and Lincoln called for 500,000 more troops as both sides prepared for a long conflict.

While the Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former secretary of war, Lincoln had only a brief and undistinguished period of service in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised many when he proved to be a capable wartime leader, learning quickly about strategy and tactics in the early years of the Civil War, and about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan , though beloved by his troops, continually frustrated Lincoln with his reluctance to advance, and when McClellan failed to pursue Robert E. Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in the aftermath of the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln removed him from command.

During the war, Lincoln drew criticism for suspending some civil liberties, including the right of habeas corpus , but he considered such measures necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation , which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of the enslaved people in the rebellious states not under federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal to the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once maintained that his “paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as one of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of a constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after his death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and at the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of the war. General George Meade missed the opportunity to deliver a final blow against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, and Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Grant , as supreme commander of the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication ceremony for the new national cemetery at Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Address eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence and the pursuit of human equality. It became the most famous speech of Lincoln’s presidency, and one of the most widely quoted speeches in history.

Abraham Lincoln Wins 1864 Presidential Election

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic nominee, the former Union General George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William T. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s way. In his second inaugural address, delivered on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the South and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas after staging his March to the Sea from Atlanta, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House , Virginia , on April 9. Union victory was near, and Lincoln gave a speech on the White House lawn on April 11, urging his audience to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry out his vision of Reconstruction .

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth slipped into the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in the back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across the street from the theater, but he never regained consciousness, and died in the early morning hours of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a national martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his coffin left Washington, D.C. on its way to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through 180 cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to the fallen president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the birthday of George Washington —is honored on President’s Day , which falls on the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.”

“I am rather inclined to silence, and whether that be wise or not, it is at least more unusual nowadays to find a man who can hold his tongue than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious that this Union, the Constitution, and the liberties of the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the original idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be most happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument in the hands of the Almighty, and of this, his almost chosen people, for perpetuating the object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest. On the side of the Union, it is a struggle for maintaining in the world, that form, and substance of government, whose leading object is, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered start, and a fair chance, in the race of life.”

“Fourscore 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.”

“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.”

HISTORY Vault: Abraham Lincoln

A definitive biography of the 16th U.S. president, the man who led the country during its bloodiest war and greatest crisis.

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With tensions rising, book explores personalities behind the Civil War

With rumors of unrest and "The Civil War" playing in multiplexes around the country, it's high time to look back at the last time Americans came to blows with each other.

Erik Larson, the best-selling popular historian, does just that in "The Demon of Unrest."

Larson has taken half-forgotten bits of history and brought them back to life, in books like "Isaac's Storm" (about the 1906 Galveston hurricane), "The Devil in the White City" (in large part, about America's first major serial killer) and "The Splendid and the Vile" (about Winston Churchill during the London Blitz).

In "The Demon of Unrest," he focuses on the road to the Civil War in 1860 and 1861, taking the siege of Fort Sumter as his centerpiece.

None of this is exactly surprising, thanks to people like Shelby Foote and Ken Burns. Larson, however, puts his personal twist on it by shining a light on some of the personalities in the conflict.

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And with such characters, the South seems to have the edge. We meet Mary Boykin Chesnut, the diarist and wife of a sometime U.S. senator from South Carolina. Smart and ambitious, Chesnut longed to be at the center of things, perhaps as the wife of a Confederate envoy in London or Paris. (Unfortunately, her husband proved a bit of a dud.) Her comments about the passing scene were always tart and -- unlike most men -- she harbored few illusions about what war would mean for the South.

Then there's James Henry Hammond, sent by South Carolina to the U.S. Senate to defend slavery -- which he did in a famous speech, coining the phrase "Cotton is King." A poor youth in a state with an entrenched aristocracy, Hammond has risen the old-fashioned way: He married an ugly heiress. Hammond became governor of South Carolina, but like so many other Southern politicians, sex did him in. He was caught having sexually molested his teen-aged nieces. (He also fathered children by his slaves, but that was a common peccadillo, almost not worth mentioning.) The coming sectional showdown rescued him from oblivion.

Then there was Edmund Ruffin, a planter who had advocated secession for decades. His fellow Virginians regarded him as a crank, with his wild white hair. (In photos, he looks rather like Rick, the mad scientist from "Rick and Morty.") South Carolinians, however, treated him like a prophet. He was allowed to sit with the delegates at the state's secession convention -- and when the attack began on Fort Sumter, Ruffin was allowed to fire the first cannon.

In Washington, President James Buchanan -- nicknamed "Aunt Fancy" -- did nothing in particular. A Pennsylvania Democrat who'd made a career of compromising with Southern interests, he seemed to hope that South Carolina would just calm down and come to its senses. In Springfield, Illinois, president-elect Abraham Lincoln seethed. He would not be inaugurated until early March, and in the meantime, there was little he could do.

"The Demon of Unrest" reminds us that America in 1860 was a much smaller country. Major Robert Anderson, the commander of the Fort Sumter garrison had been an instructor at West Point when P.G.T. Beauregard -- now the general commanding the Confederate forces surrounding him -- was a cadet.

Yet, while Larson tells a ripping yarn, strong on the Who, What and When, he's a little vague on the Why of things, and that's important.

Cotton might have been king, but it was a greedy king. Cotton crops sucked the nutrients out of soil like a 10-year-old drinking a Slurpee in July. Fertilization and crop rotation were poorly understood. (Edmund Ruffin had first gained fame for discovering that spreading substances like marl improved crop yields.) In South Carolina, countless fields were played out, and the state now made its money selling slaves to newer territories on the Gulf of Mexico.

To keep cotton, then, and the slave economy that made so many so rich, the South needed to expand. They needed new territories for new slave states. But Republicans like Lincoln stood opposed to an expansion of slavery into the territories. Lincoln and the Republicans solemnly vowed that they would not interfere with slavery in any existing state -- but that wasn't good enough. So, a showdown was on.

10 Funniest Peanuts Comics That Reference Famous People

• Peanuts comic strips have referenced a variety of famous figures, including athletes, magicians, and activists.
• Some notable people mentioned include Doug Henning, Beethoven, Billie Jean King, Claude Monet, and Fred Astaire.
• The comics also feature famous individuals like George Washington, Babe Ruth, Farrah Fawcett, Elton John, and Martin Luther King Jr.

Peanuts has a tried and true cast and has usually stayed pretty close to its core members throughout its history. However, there were still references to others in the comic strip's run, with famous people being name-dropped from time to time. While some who were referenced were famous for a certain period of time and then dissipated from the public eye, others have been household names for decades. Overall, there have been many interesting people noted in the classic comics property.

There has also been variation in the type of famous people referenced in Peanuts . Some of the names mentioned have been athletes, while others have been in the entertainment sector, such as actors. There have also been activists and even magicians referenced in Peanuts , bringing a medley of famous names. Consequently, these comic strips are set apart from the usual Peanuts comics that have usually relied on the main cast of characters, rather than topical personalities.

15 Best Peanuts Comic Strips Of All Time

Of all the legendary Peanuts daily comic strips in the world, a few stand above the rest as particularly cute, funny, or otherwise memorable.

Doug Henning

Published in 1982.

Doug Henning may not be a household name in the 2020s, but in the '80s, he was a part of mainstream pop culture. A magician, he could be considered to be an '80s equivalent to a Criss Angel or David Copperfield, despite none of these names being super current references today, either. Regardless. Doug Henning gained the popularity of not just hosting The Muppet Show but being referenced in Peanuts during the Me Decade; two impressive accomplishments. Not everyone can say they have appeared in two such mega-famous and beloved properties.

When Charlie Brown brings up Snoopy getting a rabies shot, the beagle disappears out of thin air, something a magician like Doug Henning was renowned for. Peanuts typically focused on more universal and timeless storylines that didn't rely on topical things. But, there were some comics that referencee specific issues, events, and people that were talking points at the time, a category Doug Henning fits into.

Doug Henning was a Canadian magician who many have considered to be the first rock star magician.

Published in 1977

Schroeder has long had a fascination (nearing a borderline obsession) with the composer, trying to emulate how he lived, acted, and played.

Lucy's love for Schroeder may not be reciprocated, but one person whom he does love is none other than the renowned and very famous Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the most recognized composers and pianists to ever exist. Schroeder has long had a fascination (nearing a borderline obsession) with the composer, trying to emulate how he lived, acted, and played. As a result, Beethoven was a common name to pop up in Peanuts comics that featured Schroeder.

This strip is one of many that name-dropped the man who created "Ode to Joy." Lucy, as usual, tries to insert herself into Schroeder's life, with her trying to hint heavy-handedly that Schroeder should give her a present. Also, as usual, Schroeder shuts her down as quickly as possible, no doubt putting Lucy into one of her famous crabby moods.

Billie Jean King

Published in 1991.

Before the tennis superstars of today like Venus and Serena Williams, and Naomi Osaka, there was the legendary Billie Jean King. A force in the tennis world, Billie Jean King put a spotlight on the women's sports movement and was an activist for fair compensation. On top of her advocacy, she was also consistently the champion of multiple Grand Slam titles, earning her the reputation as one of the best tennis players in the world.

What many may not know, however, is that Peanuts creator Charles Schulz and Billie Jean King were good friends and Schulz was a great admirer of her abilities. Consequently, there were many references to her in Peanuts comics, with the Peanuts gang all being fans of the sports superstar.

Claude Monet

Published in 1999.

For those who may not be familiar, Claude Monet was a famous impressionist style painter whose arguably most famous work is his Water Lilies series. Rerun, ever the precocious child, paints a picture that he tries to make resemble Monet's work. Instead, the mimicry falls short as Rerun's friend points out that his water lilies look more like submarines. Covering up his less than prodigious painting talent, Rerun tries to act like he was painting submarines along an enemy shore. Nice try, Rerun.

While his cover-up isn't the most believable, one can't deny that the little guy knows how to pivot. Interestingly, Claude Monet would not be the only high art figure to be referenced in Peanuts , with Van Gogh also being mentioned at one point. Regardless, it is highly impressive that someone as young as Rerun knows Claude Monet and even attempts to recreate one of the lauded artist's works.

Fred Astaire

Published in 1969.

Fred Astaire was a major star in Hollywood's Golden Era, with a reputation as a phenomenal dancer, a skill that he used to great effect in a number of musicals. One wouldn't think of Fred Astaire and Snoopy having much in common, yet the pair share a love of dance as seen in this comic.

Lucy and Snoopy have butted heads several times, with Snoopy's exuberant happy dance being highly ranked among the pet peeves she holds about the beagle adored around the world, making her annoyance in this strip extra humorous.

A passion in Snoopy's life is food. It makes him so happy that it causes him to do his happy dance, much to Lucy's chagrin. Always annoyed by his happy dance, Lucy quips that feeding Snoopy feels like she is feeding Fred Astaire, the dance extraordinaire . Lucy and Snoopy have butted heads several times, with Snoopy's exuberant happy dance being highly ranked among the pet peeves she holds about the beagle adored around the world, making her annoyance in this strip extra humorous.

George Washington & Abraham Lincoln

Published in 1987.

Sally's abysmal class presentations are a running gag in Peanuts . She never seems to get things quite right, confusing some aspect of what she was supposed to have learned. Likewise, it is easy to assume that everyone knows what George Washington and Abraham Lincoln looked like. Everyone except for Sally, apparently.

One of the best parts of the comic is that Sally was actually doing a good job on her report before she just had to bring the portrait she drew, effectively dampening her chances at getting an "A", being very on brand for her.

When she does a report on the first President of the United States, she brings along a portrait she drew of him, except it's entirely the wrong president she has drawn. After confusing two of the most famous American presidents ever, it's safe to say that Sally won't be getting a great grade on her report. One of the best parts of the comic is that Sally was actually doing a good job on her report before she just had to bring the portrait she drew, effectively dampening her chances at getting an "A", being very on brand for her.

Willie Mays & Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth and Willie Mays are some of the most recognized players in baseball. Even those who think touchdowns are a baseball thing know who Babe Ruth and Willie Mays are. However, Lucy is another story completely due to her absolutely clueless knowledge of anything baseball. She is the worst member on the baseball team, despite her opinion to the contrary.

10 Funniest Peanuts Comics About Baseball

From Snoopy's oversensitive shortstop tantrums to Lucy being the worst player in the history of baseball, there are many classic baseball comics.

Proving her limited knowledge of baseball, Lucy sees gloves with the names of Willie Mays and Babe Ruth on them, and is not ignorant of who they are, but also thinks that they are the gloves of regular neighborhood kids. Likewise, Lucy doesn't even get the gender of Babe Ruth correct, thinking that the Great Bambino was a girl simply due to his name. The kid from the Babe Ruth-centric film The Sandlot would have one thing to say about this comic, " You're killing me, Lucy! "

Farrah Fawcett & Mary Tyler Moore

Capturing two icons of the 1970s, this Peanuts comic is one of the grooviest '70s strips ever . Farrah Fawcett, who had the last name Majors at the time due to her then-marriage to fellow actor Lee Majors, was one of the stars of the mega-hit show Charlie's Angels. She was also featured on one of the most famous pin-up posters ever, which has appeared in countless TV shows and films including That '70s Show and Saturday Night Fever .

Likewise, Mary Tyler Moore was a sitcom star and one of the most famous faces of the '60s and '70s. As a result, the references to both '70s megastars serve as a sort of time capsule . The comic even shows just how famous these two names were in the '70s, with Sally and Lucy equating their fame to that of the moon and Frisbees.

Published in 1975

There's a piano virtuoso who has been referenced in Peanuts , but this time it is surprisingly not Beethoven. Instead, it is the iconic Elton John, who is not only a famed singer/songwriter but has also had some incredible and outlandish fashion moments. The 1970s were especially a moment in time where fashion was absolutely bonkers, something Elton John embraced wholeheartedly. One of his most famous accessories at the time was his out of the ordinary glasses that had unique shapes and designs that were colorful and bold.

Peanuts uses the famous Elton accessory in this mid '70s comic that shows the piano-obsessed Schroeder getting a present from his love-struck pal Lucy, which turns out to be Elton John glasses. While Schroeder may be obsessed with Beethoven, he could use a style revamp courtesy of the ever sartorially interesting Elton John; he is a fashion icon for a reason.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Published in 1993.

One of the most important figures in history, Martin Luther King Jr. is a name that is familiar to everyone, and rightly so. A prominent leader in the Civil Rights movement in the United States, Martin Luther King Jr. was revolutionary in his pleas to end segregation and prejudice through peaceful protests.

Franklin points out Martin Luther King Jr.'s importance to history and modern life in this Peanuts strip . When Franklin relates how the famous "I Have a Dream" speech has ensured that he and Peppermint Patty are able to sit together and have lunch together, as well as trade food items together, Peppermint Patty focuses more on the food trade part. While Peppermint Patty does have a point that a french fry and a carrot stick are in no way an even trade, her failure to grasp the real meaning of what Franklin is saying is at the heart of this classic Peanuts strip.

Created by Charles M. Schulz, Peanuts is a multimedia franchise that began as a comic strip in the 1950s and eventually expanded to include films and a television series. Peanuts follows the daily adventures of the Peanuts gang, with Charlie Brown and his dog Snoopy at the center of them. Aside from the film released in 2015, the franchise also has several Holiday specials that air regularly on U.S. Television during their appropriate seasons.

Created by Charles M. Schulz

First Film The Peanuts Movie

Cast Venus Omega Schultheis, Lisa DeFaria, Bill Melendez, Kathy Steinberg, Sally Dryer, Christopher Shea, Mariel Sheets, Hadley Belle Miller, Noah Schnapp, Peter Robbins

TV Show(s) Peanuts by Schulz, The Snoopy Show

Character(s) Sally Brown, Pig-Pen, Woodstock, Marcie (Peanuts), Peppermint Patty, Linus van Pelt, Lucy van Pelt, Snoopy, Charlie Brown

Civil War General William T. Sherman’s sword and other relics to be auctioned off in Ohio

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Bidders will fight with their dollars next week at an Ohio auction house for the sword of the Civil War Union general who led a scorched-earth campaign across Georgia and coined the phrase “War is hell.”

General William Tecumseh Sherman’s wartime sword, likely used between 1861 and 1863, are among the items that will be open to bidders Tuesday at Fleischer’s Auctions in Columbus.

Other items that will be auctioned off include Sherman’s uniform’s rank insignia worn during the Civil War, a family Bible and his personal, annotated copy of Ulysses S. Grant’s memoirs.

Sherman, a West Point graduate, was superintendent of a military school in Louisiana when South Carolina seceded in 1861, setting the war in motion . His capture of Atlanta in September 1864 helped President Abraham Lincoln win a second term in November of that year, ensuring that his fight to preserve the Union would continue.

After taking Atlanta, Sherman then led his famous “March to the Sea,” culminating with the December 1864 capture of Savannah, which dealt a huge blow to Confederate morale.

“Had it not been for William Tecumseh Sherman, it is conceivable that the North would not have won the Civil War and that the Union would not have been preserved,” said Adam Fleischer, president of the auction house.

Fleischer said a “conservative” estimated sales price for the saber is between $40,000-$60,000 and an estimated sale of the entirety of Sherman’s collection could sell as high as $300,000.

“As Americans, we live with the consequences of the Civil War whether we know it or not,” Fleischer said, “and if you remove William Tecumseh Sherman from history the war could have ended very differently.”

Sherman’s relics were provided to the auction house by his direct descendants, according to Fleischer.

The auction also includes relics such as a 1733 document signed by Benjamin Franklin, the eleventh known 1790 “free” badge issued to a formerly enslaved person, the scrapbook of a Tuskegee Airman and other effects, according to a release from Fleischer’s Auctions.

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