The Gettysburg Addresses

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The Gettysburg Addresses

Original Source

Based on transcriptions from the Gettysburg Foundation and the House Divided Project of Dickinson College.

Witness List

  • Witness bliss: The copy of the Gettysburg Address prepared by Lincoln for Col. Alexander Bliss in March 1864, used here as the base text.
  • Witness nicolay: Named for Lincoln's presidential aid John Nicolay, this copy is usually considered the first draft of address Lincoln delivered on November 19, 1863.
  • Witness hay: Named for Lincoln's presidential aid John Hay, this copy most closely matches the text reported in newspaper accounts of the address that Lincoln delivererd on November 19, 1863, but seems unlikely to be the reading text because it is not folded.
  • Witness bancroft: Copy produced for historian George Bancroft, intended to be sold for a sanitary fair in Baltimore, from early 1864.
  • Witness everett: Copy produced for Sen. Edward Everett (who also spoke at Gettysburg), from February 1864, intended to be sold as a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Sanitary Fair.

Electronic Edition Information:

Publication Details:

Created by students in ENGL 340 S15 at SUNY Geneseo.

XWitness
Four score Four score Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon upon on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, Liberty, liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. all men are created equal. "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 here on a great battle-field battle-field battle field of that war. We have come have come are met have come to dedicate a portion of that field, it that field, as the a the a final resting-place resting-place resting place for for of for those who who here gave their lives, who here gave their lives, died here who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. This we may, in all propriety do.
c
Critical note: In the Nicolay copy, this sentence ends the second paragraph of three. In Bancroft and Hay, it begins the third paragraph of three. In Bliss and Everett, it stands alone as the third paragraph of four.
But, But, But in a larger sense, sense, sense we can not dedicate, dedicate, dedicate-- we can not consecrate--we can not hallow-- hallow-- hallow, hallow this ground. ground. ground-- The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated consecrated hallowed it it it, far above our poor poor poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember remember, remember what we say here, here; here, but it while it but but it can never forget what they did here.
c
Critical note: This sentence does not appear in the Nicolay copy. In Everett and Bliss, it is the first paragraph of the fourth paragraph. In Bancroft and Hay, it is in the third of three paragraphs.
It is for us, the living, It is for us, the living, It is for us the living rather, to be dedicated here rather, to be dedicated here rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work to the unfinished work to the unfinished work which they who fought here, have which they who fought here, have, which they who fought here have thus far, thus far, thus far so nobly advanced. so nobly advanced. so nobly carried on. It is rather for us rather for us for us, the living, to be here to stand herewe be here to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us-- us-- us-- that that, that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that thethat that cause for which they here gave here gave here gave gave here, gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain-- vain-- vain; that this nation, the nation, this nation this nation, under God, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom-- freedom-- freedom, and that government this government government of the people, by the people, for the people, of the people by the people for the people, of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
XWitness
Four score Four score Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon upon on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, Liberty, liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. all men are created equal. "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 here on a great battle-field battle-field battle field of that war. We have come have come are met have come to dedicate a portion of that field, it that field, as the a the a final resting-place resting-place resting place for for of for those who who here gave their lives, who here gave their lives, died here who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. This we may, in all propriety do.
c
Critical note: In the Nicolay copy, this sentence ends the second paragraph of three. In Bancroft and Hay, it begins the third paragraph of three. In Bliss and Everett, it stands alone as the third paragraph of four.
But, But, But in a larger sense, sense, sense we can not dedicate, dedicate, dedicate-- we can not consecrate--we can not hallow-- hallow-- hallow, hallow this ground. ground. ground-- The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated consecrated hallowed it it it, far above our poor poor poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember remember, remember what we say here, here; here, but it while it but but it can never forget what they did here.
c
Critical note: This sentence does not appear in the Nicolay copy. In Everett and Bliss, it is the first paragraph of the fourth paragraph. In Bancroft and Hay, it is in the third of three paragraphs.
It is for us, the living, It is for us, the living, It is for us the living rather, to be dedicated here rather, to be dedicated here rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work to the unfinished work to the unfinished work which they who fought here, have which they who fought here, have, which they who fought here have thus far, thus far, thus far so nobly advanced. so nobly advanced. so nobly carried on. It is rather for us rather for us for us, the living, to be here to stand herewe be here to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us-- us-- us-- that that, that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that thethat that cause for which they here gave here gave here gave gave here, gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain-- vain-- vain; that this nation, the nation, this nation this nation, under God, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom-- freedom-- freedom, and that government this government government of the people, by the people, for the people, of the people by the people for the people, of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

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