November 19 - President Lincoln Delivers the Gettysburg Address

This Day in History: 19 November 2020

 

19 November 1863

 

157 years ago, today, President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of a military cemetery in Gettysburg, during the American Civil War. In less than 275 words, Lincoln movingly reminded the weary public why the Union had to fight, and win, the Civil War. The Battle of Gettysburg had been fought some four months prior and was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. Over the course of three days, more than 45,000 men were killed, injured, captured or went missing. It also proved to be the turning point of the war, as it marked the beginning of the Southern army's ultimate decline.

 

An attorney named David Wills bought 17 acres of pasture to turn into a cemetery for the more than 7,500 who fell in battle. At its dedication, the crowd listened for two hours to Edward Everett, one of the most famous orators of the day, before Lincoln spoke. His address lasted only two or three minutes and reflected his redefined belief that the Civil War was not only a fight to save the Union, but also a struggle for freedom and equality. Reception towards the Gettysburg Address speech was initially mixed, divided strictly along partisan lines. Nevertheless, the speech is thought by many today to be the most eloquent articulation of the democratic vision ever written.

 

Want to find out more about the Gettysburg Address? Click here for more information, or here for more about the Battle of Gettysburg.

Australian PM & sexism

Julia Gillard, the Australian Prime Minister, delivers a lesson in how to put down troublesome opposition leaders and deal with accusations of sexism and misogyny in a 15 minute speech which has attracted over 1 million Youtube hits.  She was reacting to a motion trying to force out the Speaker for the first time after he was discovered to have sent lewd messages to a staffer.  The Observer assessed the issue in yesterday's newspaper.

JFK's Inaugural Speech

President John F Kennedy delivered his famous inaugurual speech 50 years ago today. It includes the famous line "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country" and many other impressive pieces of rhetoric. Kennedy ordered his aide to analyse all the previous inaugural speeches, plus other famous speeches such as Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, to try to understand the key to what made a particular phrase memorable and successful. As this interesting article from the BBC shows, the speech is full of contrasts, as shown in the example above, 3 part lists, and alliteration, such as "Let us go forth to lead the land we love". The research paid off, and JFK, despite his comparative youth, was able to establish himself and set his agenda both with his domestic audience and the rest of the world. You can see video of the speech, and annotations of its highlights, here.