It was delivered by the then US President Abraham Lincoln as he addressed the crowd assembled at the site of what would be the military cemetery during its dedication ceremony at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This memorable speech was given as a reminder of why in his opinion the war weary nation of the Union had to fight and win the Civil War.

The battle for supremacy at Gettysburg had been fought four months before his speech, it was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War in America. It lasted for three days and 45,000 men were listed as being killed, injured, captured or missing. It was one of the major turning points of the war, the defeat of General Lee’s men and subsequent retreat was the last Confederate invasion into Northern held territory and the beginning of the decline for the Southern army.

The governor of Pennsylvania, Andrew Curtin, appointed an attorney to purchase 17 acres of land and turn the pasture into a cemetery for the 7,500 that were killed in the battle. The attorney, David Wills, invited one of the most famous orators of the day, Edward Everett, to deliver a speech at the dedication ceremony. He also sent a letter to The US President asking for a few appropriate remarks to be read out at the ceremony to consecrate the grounds.

The assembled crowd listened to Everett’s oration for two hours before Lincoln began his speech, Lincoln’s address lasted just two or three minutes. The reactions were initially mixed and his little speech as he referred to it has passed into history described as being possibly one of the most eloquent visions ever written.