Hi Boys... Abraham Lincoln was speaking at the Gettysburg battlefield when he presented this speech. They were dedicating a portion of that battlefield as a cemetery for the soldiers that died there. Oddly enough, even though he was the President, he was not the featured speaker. That person spoke for 2 hours and no one remembers anything he said. Abraham Lincoln then spoke this speech and it will be remembered forever as the iconic touching and heartfelt speech, especially given the circumstances. I found it ironic that in his speech he said the world will not remember what we say here today.... and 150 years later it is still one of the most if not the most remembered speech in American history.
@@tempsitch5632If nobody was there then it 😅 doesn't matter if nobody thought it was special..But it was and is now recognised by the intelligent to be one of the most iconic..You from Richmond?
@@mohsinsyedain1754dude just because people live in the south doesn't mean they were for the confederacy. back then people were more dedicated and loyal to their STATE than the NATION. so my great x3 grandpa and uncle lived in northern kentucky. my great x3 uncle fought for the confederacy and my great x3 grandpa fought for the union.
♥ In recent times, our presidents average 2,500 words in an inaugural address and don't really say anything. President Lincoln used 272 words and said everything.
The Gettysburg address was not an inaugural address. Your point about brevity is well-taken, though. Lincoln's second inaugural address used 701 words.
On one wall inside the Lincoln Memorial is inscribed the words of the Gettysburg Address. On the wall opposite are inscribed the words of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address.
It's kinda funny how Lincoln said in this speech "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here" and yet it's literally the most well-remembered speech of all American history
It was in November of 1863 for forming the cemetery, Lincoln wasn't even the keynote speaker and the speech was so quick that the photographer didn't even get a photo.
@Jose Rivas I read a book about Lincoln over 10 years ago and in it says the guy who spoke before him said to Lincoln *paraphrasing: 'I give a long eloquent speech for two hours and no one seems to care. You come here with a paragraph and make history.'
The only photo was taken as Lincoln had finished the speech and was leaving. The photographer thought that Lincoln's speech would be like the rambling two hour one of the previous speaker and so hadn't set his camera up in time.
Francis Bellamy wrote the Pledge of Allegiance in 1892. Before Lincoln spoke at Gettysburg, Edward Everett spoke for two hours, recounting every detail of the three-day battle. Lincoln spoke for only a few minutes. Afterwards, Everett told Lincoln, "I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes." There's a lot of mythology about this speech. One story is that Lincoln wrote it on the back of an envelope on the way to the ceremony. It's not true. He worked very hard on it, and made many changes before settling on its final form. Several early drafts exist, so we can see how he honed the text. Please consider reacting to Lincoln's second inaugural address. Many consider it at least the equal of the Gettysburg address. Both are masterpieces of stirring rhetoric.
I hope it wasn't lost on anyone, but when Abraham Lincoln said "a new birth of freedom", he was talking about the end of slavery. Abraham Lincoln believed that the U.S. Constitution was a "living" document, rather than set in stone. That's to say, he believed that the Constitution should be amended to preserve liberty as the country ages. Like giving women the right to vote. The Declaration of Independence says "We the people, in order to form a more perfect union..." The United States of America has never been perfect, but our goal has always been and always should be to form a better Union, one that grants more freedom and liberty to everyone, equally.
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. Abraham Lincoln November 19, 1863
@@Kenneth_James For those who want to read it on their own and really contemplate on what the words meant to a nation that was on the brink of destruction, brother against brother, engaged in a civil war that would not end for two more years after Lincoln spoke these words. He was tying to unite people and remind them the task was not yet done.
Kennedy’s Inaugural Address is one of the greatest as well. Robert Kennedy was also quite special, often quoting his favorite poets. He gave a tremendous speech after Martin Luther King was assassinated as well as after his brother was assassinated. Sadly, he was assassinated only 2 months after King.
FDR’s “Day of Infamy” address to Congress is an epic one too. Also, don’t forget about Churchill if you’re going to do more of these...that dude was a stone cold Boss (and he was fkn stoned the whole time ) 😂👍🥃
Churchill was too drunk most of the time and hired an actor to do his speeches. His voice was high pitched and un-motivating even when sober. Sorry. Sad but true. He neither wrote nor read his own speeches.
The Battle of Gettysburg was the deadliest single battle of the Civil War, with over 51,000 casualties. The Pledge of Allegiance came a few decades after Lincoln's death.
The Battle of Antietam was the deadliest battle in the Civil War with a total of 22,000+ dead of the North and the South. However, Gettysburg was the last time that Lee ever attempted to invade the North.
@@josephkruse3402 I just realized I misunderstood what you were saying, though your number is off. Yes, the numbers for Antietam are a single day and that's notable for sure, but more overall died in Gettysburg. I think you're possibly conflating some casualties with dead in your number, though.
About 7,000 died over the three days of fighting at Gettysburg and about 3,500 died in the one day of fighting at Antietam. Both battles were horrific.
@@blakerh very true - Antietam just gets the one day thing, but gets overlooked too often as what many historians refer to as the worst day in American history.
One big thing to remember is that Lincoln himself composed and wrote his speech. All politicians today have their speeches crafted by professional speechwriters, so that the words and their sentiments may not particularly heartfelt by the one giving the speech, but can just be buzzwords stitched together to try to favor the intended audience.
The United States is young, just 246 years old. Compared to most other nations of the world, which have existed somewhat unchanged in some form or another for up to 1,000 years or more in some cases, the U.S. is young. But what its been able to accomplish in that small amount of time is nothing short of remarkable. The oldest city in the United States is St. Augustine, Florida which is 457 years old. The capital of the United Kingdom is 1,972 years old, with it's oldest city (Thatcham, from what I can tell) being between 6 and 13,000 years old.
"last full measure of devotion" always hits me... as it has been lifted and used many times... unsure if Lincoln was the first to use... probably not... but Presidents have used that phrase Congressional Medal of Honor ceremonies, and have used it to honor others who have sacrificed their lives so others may live.
Lincoln was called an 'ape, ugly, a country bumpkin, illiterate, etc. His policies were criticized, his cabinet on occasion subversive. His voice was said to have a high nasal quality. Daniel Day Lewis is purported to have captured what is thought to be Lincoln's voice and cadence in his portrayal of Lincoln in the Spielberg movie of the same name. Yet when he died it took over 2 weeks for the funeral train to return to Springfield, Illinois, Lincoln's home. Thousands lined the tracks to watch the train go by as they doffed their hats in reverence and bowed their heads (there are photographs). Lincoln was not the primary speaker at the dedication in Gettysburg. The speech was short. The words now often quoted. His Second Inaugural Speech is another classic in American Literature. The man ridiculed and reviled now treated with reverence and appreciation. And eventually a 'temple' erected in his honor in Washington D.C.. Should you visit his tomb in Springfield, Illinois you will find it incredibly modest in comparison.
There's a video on youtube that combines a lot of the great speeches in American history. It would be really cool to see you guys react to that as well.
One of the criticisms of politicians is that they love the sound of their own voices. Abraham Lincoln wrote two of the shortest and most beautifully written speeches in the history of the English language (the other is his Second Inaugural Address). Lincoln, who wasn't even the principal speaker, was scheduled to deliver some brief remarks at the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery. They were so brief that the photographer did not have enough time to set up his cumbersome equipment; the photo he took shows Lincoln walking away from the lectern. Preceding Lincoln, the main speech was two-hours long, delivered by famed orator Edward Everett. Imagine that today. After their speeches, Everett wrote to Lincoln, "I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes."
With more than 50K casualties, it was the bloodiest single battle of the conflict. The Battle of Gettysburg. It only lasted three days. They said the streams ran red from the blood.
Thank you for viewing this and commenting on it. Gettysburg is significant for two reasons -- the battle and the speech. Until then, the North had been losing most of the battles, and there was growing opposition in the North to the war. General Lee decided to "invade" the north for the first time, because he believed that he could deliver a devastating blow, both militarily and moral-wise, to the North. And then political pressure would grow for the North to "give up" and leave the South alone as a separate nation. But at the end of the 3-day bloody battle, Lee lost -- badly -- and it was on the 4th of July, no less. Then came Lincoln's speech to dedicate the cemetery. But it was more than than dedication remarks. In less than 3 minutes, Lincoln reminded everyone why America existed in the first place, and what democracy is all about -- the idea that all men are created equal, and that the government they create is of the people, by the people, and for the people. In those days, America still was the only democracy in the world -- and Lincoln reminded us that the Civil War was "testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure." We all went through the same test years later, when the US and UK and other Western democracies took on the fascists in World War II, and democracy prevailed again. And today we have the third test -- in the US and in many countries in Western Europe. Democracy is under challenge once again, and Lincoln's short address is as relevant today as it was then.
I would recommend y'all watch the 1993 movie "Gettysburg". I'm not saying react to it, because it's 4.5 hours long. It is based off the book, "The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara.
I find it funny when media channels (such as British tabloids) do "scientific body language analysis" of some politician or celebrity. The speakers all take classes on how to fool the media with fake body language as well as acting classes. Does anyone think Meghan Markle didn't spend thousands of dollars on voice, public relations, and acting classes even before she ever heard of Harry? I'd bet anything Oprah's crew gave them lots of tips before the famous interview on how to be likeable, false humble, sympathetic, relatable, ready for victomhood, etc. Prince Andrew seems the only guy too proud to take classes.
This is definitely one of the most iconic, classic speeches of all time, but I would also put Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech in Washington Dc on that list because it is so heartfelt, inspirational and well written and it never fails to give me goosebumps.
@@theMatch111 That address brought tears to my eyes when I heard it 😭 It felt like a loved one sitting you down and giving comfort over the death of a family member
The pledge was written in 1892 (post civil war) by a socialist minister named Frances Bellamy. Lincoln's Gettysburg address was done after the Battle of Gettysburg. Many politicians stood to give long winded speeches. Lincoln's was the shortest, yet most significant speech. Although he felt it would be forgotten, it never has been.
Well it was Winston Churchill that stated in the greatest of humility “…until the new world with all its power and might steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.” It’s a good reflection on the ages of our countries.
A good leader is a unifier. To speak on what Daz touched on regarding similar speeches not having the same affect over there. Being the "new kid" on the block, our history and what we as a country has had to endure is still fresh. We know how precious freedom is. Whereas you have centuries you can go back and perhaps it's become an expected existence that is taken for granted. Also it must be taken into account our perception both of ourselves as well as the rest of the world as being that shining light on a hill. We are perceived as alway's being the good guy and our citizens, at least, try to live up to that.
I forget which grade, but I had to memorize and recite the Gettysburg Address back in the 70's in school. It was at the time where Abe had made the emancipation declaration abolishing slavery bring on the American Civil War in the 1800's.
The United States of America was founded July 4th, 1776. The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892.The Gettysburg Address gives me chills every time I read it.
There are a few opening phrases most Americans know, even when they can't identify the document or speech. "Four score and seven years ago, ...", here; "We the people" from the preamble to the Constitution, "One small step for (a) man," from the moon! I recommend Washington's Farewell to the Troops and of course, I Have a Dream.
@Atheos B. Sapien i can define at least a dozen different socialistic models. can you? i can define fascism as laid out by the man that invented it. can you? doubt it. i forgot more about political theory and social science than you'll ever know in the first place, clown. go away.
@Atheos B. Sapien read the Pledge and tell me it isn't a fascist ideology put to words. go on. the recitation of something like the pledge is fascist, by any objective metric used to gauge such things. and Pope Pious XII made a deal with Hitler to keep him from persecuting Catholics the way he did Jews. Being a priest does not make a person good. Ask any of the boys who've been raped by one over the last couple hundred years. go on. and he wasn't a priest, anyway... the Pledge was written by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister. seriously. its time for you to shut the fuck up and go back to school. try to pay attention this time, you obviously didn't the first time around.
@Atheos B. Sapien it is fascist. pledging yourself to your country and spouting a rehearsed diatribe is extraordinarily fascist. requiring children to recite it daily is extraordinarily fascist. the fact that you're unable to recognize actual fascism tells me you haven't the first fucking clue what you're talking about. maybe go learn about what fascism entails before posting your ignorance. it would be helpful.
@Atheos B. Sapien ok well, whatever gets you through the night, cupcake. i've pointed out several of your factual inconsistencies (lies or ignorance), so not a single thing you say has any credibility, especially since i am, by anyone's definition of the term, an expert on political systems, and you've never seen the inside of a college classroom. when i was a freshman, i wrote 20 pages on communism using the Smurfs as an example. what was your Comparative Politics 1113 final paper on?
We had to learn this speech in my 10th grade(high school) History class. Now.....i can guarantee you they don't now. And i have lived in the South all my life. It is one great speech! It was giving after one of the BLOODEST BATTLES EVER. Also that started us, the US....Battlefields and Veterans cemetaries here in the United States. They all are the most beautiful peaceful places are earth. All states have them My parents are buried here in one of the U.S. Veteran cemetaries. And I hope i will be buried there with my husband. Our greatest speech President was Ronald Reagan. There is a video right now people here in the US that is getting alot of attention again. Especially now!
The Gettysburg address is significant not only for it says but also how wonderfully it measures up to the momentous events that transpired which necessitated this speech. Churchill's speech, on the other hand, states the obvious that needs to be done to prevent an ominous future..It did not have to measure up to anything..for the gravity of the situation was plain to all the British needed only some to articulate it.
The main speaker at the event had spoke for hours. President Lincoln penned this speech on the train ride to Gettysburg and it took minutes! His words are now the most famous speech in the history of the USA! And very few remember the speaker that spoke for hours. Proof that Less is More!
I know this dude probably wasn't trying to act as Lincoln but its still funny to hear this "built ford tough" type voice. When Abraham Lincoln was known to have a bit of high pitched voice.
You're correct Dave. In fact, Obama had half the British Parliament in tears one year with his address to the UK. Probably my fav Obama speech. Would make for a good reaction if it wasn't like 40mins long haha
Elementary Schools here in America used to memorize this speech. Today they are taught the 2,347 different genders. He wrote his on an envelope on the train from DC to Gettysburg. The ironic point, there was another speaker present was Edward Everett who was a noted orator(had to be good with speeches in those days, no radio, TV or social media, no teleprompters that they use which make most political speeches fake IMHO). Nobody remembers Everett's speech that went on for almost an hour, but Lincoln's short and to the point speech lives on thru the test of time. In Washington, DC, this speech is on the inner walls of the Lincoln Memorial.
I love the scene in the Science Fiction classic film where the young boy is showing the alien Klaatu around Washington DC and they stop to look at the Lincoln Memorial. As Klaatu reads the inscription of this speech on the walls he seemed stunned and stated "Those are great words, he must have been a very great man."
Some years ago I was translating the Gettysburg address into Russian with the help of a native Russian friend, At the end he said to me "this is an amazing speech which carries so much spirit and meaning",
Photography was in it's infancy at the time. The photographer in charge that day was setting up his camera and lights, figuring that the president would ramble on (as politicians do) and that he would get the shot. The speech was so brief that the only picture taken was after the speech as he was going down the steps of the platform.
In the movie National Treasure, Nicholas cage quotes a bit of this by saying “they gave their last full measure of devotion.” The Gettysburg Address has been quoted many times, at least bits and pieces of it.
Gettysburg is in Pennsylvania and it was the site of what stands to this day as the largest battle in U.S. history 87 years, almost to the day, after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. For the second time in the Civil War, the confederate army had invaded the north with the intent of threatening Washington, D.C. By a hair, they were stopped by the Union Army at Gettysburg. 3 days of fighting, 50,000 casualties, the entire town then became a hospital for the wounded. Though the confederates, under the command of Gen. Robert E. Lee, were forced to retreat back into Virginia, nonetheless the war would take another 2 years and many more lives before it was ended with a Union victory. 4 months after the battle, the new national military cemetery at Gettysburg was ready to be dedicated and Lincoln was invited to give a few “appropriate remarks” after someone else’s 2 hour speech: the world has not remembered what Edward Everett took 2 hours to say, but it has not forgotten Honest Abe’s 2 minute “Gettysburg Address”, and rightly so. Thank you guys for reacting to it.
In this Speach, given on November 19, 1863 at the Dedication of Gettysburg National Cemetery, Abraham Lincoln defines what the country was founded upon in 1776, why the American Civil War had to be fought and what the Country would be After the War... It is Considered the Greatest Use of the English Language in History. The Speach was actually written in 4 parts. The 1st draft on White House Stationary was written at the Whitehouse in the week leading up to Lincoln leaving for Gettysburg. Not entirely satisfied, Lincoln worked on the Speach at the David Wells House in Gettysburg after supper revising the 2nd half. He then went to talk to his Secretary of State William Seward, and continued to revise the speech... On the morning of November 19, Lincoln and Seward visited the Battlefield, specifically the site of the first days fighting at McPherson's Woods and the Lutheran Theological Seminary. So moved by this visit, he again revised the 2nd half again after returning to the Wills house..right up until the time of the Parade to the Cemetery, thus unable to memorize it. The Speach he held on the Speakers Platform, page one is on Whitehouse Stationery, from the Whitehouse Effort and Page two is on Fools Scrape....Nobody actually knows EXACTLY what Lincoln Actually said giving the Speach as the Newspaper Accounts differ slightly from the written copy he held will giving the speach. Today there are 5 known copies of the Gettysburg Adreess in Lincoln's hand writing. The Copy he held on the Speakers Platform was given to is Private Secretary John Nichole. Edward Everett, the main speaker later asked Lincoln for a Copy, to be sold for Soldiers Relief, the revising spech ended up in the papers of his other Private Secretary John Hay. The Speach he sent to Edward Everett was sold..for Soldiers Relief. Historian George Bancroff asked Lincoln for a copy, to be used for a Booklet he was making on Great American Speeches, unfortunately the first copy was witten on the front and back and thus unusable, so Lincoln Sent him a 2nd Copy. This copy, known as " The Bliss Copy " is considered the Official one and is in the Lincoln Bedroom at the Whitehouse in Washington DC. The Nichole and Hay Copies are in The National Archives and the Copy sent to Edward Everett, ended in Private Hands, but was eventully donated to Cornell University. The Only copy in Public hands.... JMW, Master's Degree in American Civil War History
In the school that I grew up attending (just an hour or 2 from Gettysburg, not far from Philly, ironically... Where the "4 score & 7 yrs ago" refers to), every year the 4th grade (10 yr olds) class would be required to memorize the Gettysburg Address. Every Spring the whole class would travel to Gettysburg, visit the museums, take the battlefield tour & at the end the teacher had the class (20-30 kids) line up at the public entrance to the cemetery. And then passersby or people walking through the park would stop as the 10 year olds did a dramatic group reading of the Gettysburg Address. Anyone who went through that teacher's grade, remembers going to Gettysburg & getting chills during that perfect ending.
The power of this speech, at least for Americans, is that it came when the United States was only 87 years old -- an infant in terms of world history. People in the audience would have had grandparents alive at the founding of the country. And at that point, in 1863, the country was split in two, with every possibility that it would disintegrate. From hindsight, we know it didn't, but the outcome was very much in doubt at the time. And what Lincoln did, in those few lines, was to point out the high stakes and to simply, but firmly, call for Americans to not give up on their dream of self-government but instead to remake the country, to make it better -- to give it a "new birth of freedom." Lincoln not only dedicated a cemetery, he rededicated the entire country to the future it had pledged to achieve two generations before. And every American who hears that speech has to hear that call echoing down to today. Don't give up on our ideals. Work harder to make them a reality. Don't let down everyone who fought for those ideals so many years ago.
I kid you not I was just thinking "it would be cool if yall reacted to the best speeches in US history". Weird how the universe works. Reacting to FDRs speech would be cool.
If you really truly want to know, it has never been explained better than Ken Burns did in the “Civil War“ documentaries series… Here’s the actual clip from that film. ruclips.net/video/qCXUbQ4JjXI/видео.html
1863 minus 87 years ("four score and seven years ago") = 1776, the 2nd year of the American Revolution. The Gettysburg Address was, partially, a reminder to Americans what was accomplished by winning through great sacrifice in that revolution. The address also challenged Americans, especially non-military people, to remember and hold very dearly the goals of independence, freedom, and liberty.
There are a number of good American speeches but what makes them great is their historical context. This speech is great and memorable. MLK's "I Have A Dream" is great and memorable. Roosevelt great and memorable speech; all pivotal. As for the U.K., recently, QEII's Pandemic speech was great. KCIII as Prince of Wales has delivered a number of good speeches on the environment and religion. Being Head of State vs leader of a political party is the tone changer. KCIII's Christmas speech next year will be the one to wait for. No doubt this year will be more about remembrance of QEII. I think Prince Harry has shown exceptional oracle skills in a couple of his Envictus Games speeches. Nicola Sturgeon is a very good political speaker....for Scotland. Penny Mourdant a very good speaker amongst the Tories. All the politicians seem so compromised that there is a wedge between them and the truth that makes it impossible for them to touch greatness.
Eisenhower's farewell address was much better and kind of haunting when he talked openly about how we should be afraid of the military industrial complex, and how once war becomes profitable...it will be inevitable to always be in one. And we have ever since.
No American president ever left as many called shots in their farewell addresses as Eisenhower and Washington. Seriously, everything wrong with America can be traced to how we did not follow either of these men's advice as they were leaving office.
The Battle of Gettysburg (Pennsylvania) was one of the "turning points" of the American Civil War. The three day battle cost between 46,000 and 51,000 casualties on both sides. The MOST costly battle in US history.
Ronald Reagan's speech about the Berlin Wall, JFK challenging the nation to 'ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country', FDR's 'a day which will live in infamy'...it's somewhat ironic that Lincoln said the world will little note what was said at Gettysburg, but in fact, it's considered the greatest speech in American politics...if the Emancipation Proclamation had been a speech instead of a written policy, it might have been considered the best speech. Gettysburg is in Pennsylvania. Daz knows his American geography.
This speech was delivered at the height of the American Civil War. Remember this... If the Union hadn't defeated the Confederacy, We would have been two entirely different countries instead of one beautiful one. 🇺🇸♥️🇬🇧✌️
The comments on British speakers makes me point out that Winston Churchill's "Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat" is considered by people in USA as the best ever.
Great speeches often flow from great occasions. A speech at a battlefield during a war for the soul of a nation is going to stand up better than one during a political campaign, for example.
I don't know if this was mentined yet, but the main speaker, Edward Everett, spoke for 2 hours. Lincoln only spoke for 2 minutes. This was outside in Gettysburg in November. Lots of people had to be cold.
Washington's and MLK's are wonderful, but this is the gold standard. To this day, the most Americans who died in battle died during the Civil War, and they died to preserve the Union and free African slaves. In fact, the Civil War's death toll is comparable to all other major wars combined. A whole book has been written on the style of the sentences alone: the vocabulary, the alliteration, the symbols, the circle of birth, dedication, death. It's poetry in prose. The irony is that the prior speaker that day went on for hours and no one cares. This is what was remembered.
One of my ancestors actually spoke at Gettysburg just before President Lincoln. He spoke for a very long time. After my ancestor concluded his oration, Lincoln remarked to someone else on the stage that his "little speech" would be overlooked. Yet, my ancestor (Edward Everett) gave a speech that is barely a footnote to the powerful address given by Lincoln. BTW, the Gettysburg National Battlefield is an amazing place to visit. BTW, I don't know that anyone would argue that Biden is a good speaker. I don't think that his own team believe this. Jimmy Carter wasn't very eloquent either. Obama was eloquent. Trump, despite his abrasive personality, was a decent speaker (particularly when speaking extemporaneously). Ronald Reagan, however, was a master speaker. I would place Reagan up there with Winston Churchill.
The Battle of Gettysburg marked the turning point of the Civil War. With more than 50,000 estimated casualties, the three-day engagement was the bloodiest single battle of the conflict.
What's sad is that now today especially with American politicians is that they don't just try to talk s*** about the other side's politicians they also try to talk s*** about the other side's voters as well continuously increasing the divide
If you go back & read about Lincoln, you’ll see that many of his peers & critics truly believed Lincoln was an idiot & was a deeply flawed leader & man.
A little context. During the Battle of Gettsyburg over 3 days, 51K men died on that land. In some instances, family members serving on both sides of the war. During the Vietnam War that ripped this country apart over 10+years, we lost 58K people. Gives you some idea of what the battlefields of Gettsyburg soaked in blood, bodies, and the injured during those 3 days. There are tours and re-enactment of the battle in July. There is also an amazing book, 'Killer Angels' about the battle, and the movie, 'Gettsyburg'.
We certainly do not write or speak like that anymore, and are the poorer for it. If I recall correctly, Lincoln wrote that speech on the back of an envelope while on the train from Washington DC to Gettysburg.
Did you know Winston Churchill wrote a book on the American Civil War. And I think his mother was American too? The search results said: "The American Civil War written by Sir Winston S. Churchill was an in-depth description of the Civil War. Because Churchill was not American, the book provided an international person's view of the war, which was unbiased, unlike other Civil War books. Complete with maps, pictures, and facts, this book is captivating yet should be read in doses." I read it years ago. I wish I had read it in doses too if you know what I mean? 😂
Though the speech was delivered in November 1863, four score and seven years ago is very significant. Four score earlier puts us at 1776. The Battle of Gettysburg took place on July 1 through 3 of 1863. The first day after was July 4 and 87 years earlier puts us at July 4, 1776 - the original Independence Day, when our fathers did indeed bring forth a new nation and so on.
Hi Boys... Abraham Lincoln was speaking at the Gettysburg battlefield when he presented this speech. They were dedicating a portion of that battlefield as a cemetery for the soldiers that died there. Oddly enough, even though he was the President, he was not the featured speaker. That person spoke for 2 hours and no one remembers anything he said. Abraham Lincoln then spoke this speech and it will be remembered forever as the iconic touching and heartfelt speech, especially given the circumstances. I found it ironic that in his speech he said the world will not remember what we say here today.... and 150 years later it is still one of the most if not the most remembered speech in American history.
Nobody cared at the time. Nobody was there and nobody thought it was special.
@@tempsitch5632
aww, found a great great great great grandson of one of the losers.
@@tempsitch5632If nobody was there then it 😅 doesn't matter if nobody thought it was special..But it was and is now recognised by the intelligent to be one of the most iconic..You from Richmond?
@@mohsinsyedain1754 English 101. Then internet.
@@mohsinsyedain1754dude just because people live in the south doesn't mean they were for the confederacy. back then people were more dedicated and loyal to their STATE than the NATION. so my great x3 grandpa and uncle lived in northern kentucky. my great x3 uncle fought for the confederacy and my great x3 grandpa fought for the union.
♥ In recent times, our presidents average 2,500 words in an inaugural address and don't really say anything. President Lincoln used 272 words and said everything.
The Gettysburg address was not an inaugural address. Your point about brevity is well-taken, though. Lincoln's second inaugural address used 701 words.
I think Lincoln's words are just as relevant now as ever
Obama was the king of nothing.
@@julieb3996i mean if we were in a civil war yes
On one wall inside the Lincoln Memorial is inscribed the words of the Gettysburg Address. On the wall opposite are inscribed the words of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address.
It's kinda funny how Lincoln said in this speech "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here"
and yet it's literally the most well-remembered speech of all American history
Lincoln: "It is better for one to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."
It was in November of 1863 for forming the cemetery, Lincoln wasn't even the keynote speaker and the speech was so quick that the photographer didn't even get a photo.
At that time and probably more after, Speech’s were way longer, he wanted it to be impactful, It become Iconic but at the time he was criticized
I thought there was a picture of a far away shot and you can see his figure a bit. He was the tallest on stage.
@Jose Rivas I read a book about Lincoln over 10 years ago and in it says the guy who spoke before him said to Lincoln *paraphrasing: 'I give a long eloquent speech for two hours and no one seems to care. You come here with a paragraph and make history.'
@@SherriLyle80sI’ve seen that photo. You can barely see his head but you can see his stove pipe hat well.
The only photo was taken as Lincoln had finished the speech and was leaving. The photographer thought that Lincoln's speech would be like the rambling two hour one of the previous speaker and so hadn't set his camera up in time.
Francis Bellamy wrote the Pledge of Allegiance in 1892.
Before Lincoln spoke at Gettysburg, Edward Everett spoke for two hours, recounting every detail of the three-day battle. Lincoln spoke for only a few minutes. Afterwards, Everett told Lincoln, "I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes."
There's a lot of mythology about this speech. One story is that Lincoln wrote it on the back of an envelope on the way to the ceremony. It's not true. He worked very hard on it, and made many changes before settling on its final form. Several early drafts exist, so we can see how he honed the text.
Please consider reacting to Lincoln's second inaugural address. Many consider it at least the equal of the Gettysburg address. Both are masterpieces of stirring rhetoric.
Great information! Thank you.
I thought the Under God part wasn't added until the cold war?
@@Mary-xc9dh It was officially changed in 1954.
Way to go Jeff!
Lincoln actually had a high pitched voice, which really has to speak to how well he could talk if he managed to command the room with a squeaker voice
I hope it wasn't lost on anyone, but when Abraham Lincoln said "a new birth of freedom", he was talking about the end of slavery. Abraham Lincoln believed that the U.S. Constitution was a "living" document, rather than set in stone. That's to say, he believed that the Constitution should be amended to preserve liberty as the country ages. Like giving women the right to vote. The Declaration of Independence says "We the people, in order to form a more perfect union..." The United States of America has never been perfect, but our goal has always been and always should be to form a better Union, one that grants more freedom and liberty to everyone, equally.
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.
Abraham Lincoln
November 19, 1863
Why post the transcript of the video?
@@Kenneth_James For those who want to read it on their own and really contemplate on what the words meant to a nation that was on the brink of destruction, brother against brother, engaged in a civil war that would not end for two more years after Lincoln spoke these words. He was tying to unite people and remind them the task was not yet done.
@@Kenneth_James why not
Kennedy’s Inaugural Address is one of the greatest as well. Robert Kennedy was also quite special, often quoting his favorite poets. He gave a tremendous speech after Martin Luther King was assassinated as well as after his brother was assassinated. Sadly, he was assassinated only 2 months after King.
FDR’s “Day of Infamy” address to Congress is an epic one too. Also, don’t forget about Churchill if you’re going to do more of these...that dude was a stone cold Boss (and he was fkn stoned the whole time ) 😂👍🥃
the Day of Infamy speech is top dog when it comes to ass-kicking American speeches.
"Day of Infamy" was superb, but FDR's best speech was at his First Inaugural when he said, "the only thing we have to fear is Fear itself."
Churchill was too drunk most of the time and hired an actor to do his speeches. His voice was high pitched and un-motivating even when sober. Sorry. Sad but true. He neither wrote nor read his own speeches.
His doesn’t say a day…. His says, “December 7th, 1941, a DATE which will live in infamy…”
I Really recommend y'all react to "Greatest Recorded Speeches in American History (1933-2008)"
The Battle of Gettysburg was the deadliest single battle of the Civil War, with over 51,000 casualties. The Pledge of Allegiance came a few decades after Lincoln's death.
The deadliest single day battle in American history is the Battle of Antietam with 5,389 killed.
The Battle of Antietam was the deadliest battle in the Civil War with a total of 22,000+ dead of the North and the South. However, Gettysburg was the last time that Lee ever attempted to invade the North.
@@josephkruse3402 I just realized I misunderstood what you were saying, though your number is off. Yes, the numbers for Antietam are a single day and that's notable for sure, but more overall died in Gettysburg. I think you're possibly conflating some casualties with dead in your number, though.
About 7,000 died over the three days of fighting at Gettysburg and about 3,500 died in the one day of fighting at Antietam. Both battles were horrific.
@@blakerh very true - Antietam just gets the one day thing, but gets overlooked too often as what many historians refer to as the worst day in American history.
React to John F. Kennedy. He made great speeches:
Inaugural, Anti Supremacy, Pro Civil Rights, Speech To Berlin, To The Moon Speech, Etc.
Reagan too
One big thing to remember is that Lincoln himself composed and wrote his speech. All politicians today have their speeches crafted by professional speechwriters, so that the words and their sentiments may not particularly heartfelt by the one giving the speech, but can just be buzzwords stitched together to try to favor the intended audience.
The United States is young, just 246 years old. Compared to most other nations of the world, which have existed somewhat unchanged in some form or another for up to 1,000 years or more in some cases, the U.S. is young. But what its been able to accomplish in that small amount of time is nothing short of remarkable.
The oldest city in the United States is St. Augustine, Florida which is 457 years old. The capital of the United Kingdom is 1,972 years old, with it's oldest city (Thatcham, from what I can tell) being between 6 and 13,000 years old.
"last full measure of devotion" always hits me... as it has been lifted and used many times... unsure if Lincoln was the first to use... probably not... but Presidents have used that phrase Congressional Medal of Honor ceremonies, and have used it to honor others who have sacrificed their lives so others may live.
Lincoln was called an 'ape, ugly, a country bumpkin, illiterate, etc. His policies were criticized, his cabinet on occasion subversive. His voice was said to have a high nasal quality. Daniel Day Lewis is purported to have captured what is thought to be Lincoln's voice and cadence in his portrayal of Lincoln in the Spielberg movie of the same name. Yet when he died it took over 2 weeks for the funeral train to return to Springfield, Illinois, Lincoln's home. Thousands lined the tracks to watch the train go by as they doffed their hats in reverence and bowed their heads (there are photographs). Lincoln was not the primary speaker at the dedication in Gettysburg. The speech was short. The words now often quoted. His Second Inaugural Speech is another classic in American Literature. The man ridiculed and reviled now treated with reverence and appreciation. And eventually a 'temple' erected in his honor in Washington D.C.. Should you visit his tomb in Springfield, Illinois you will find it incredibly modest in comparison.
Inspiration, beyond mere government or power, is the most noble duty of leadership.
There's a video on youtube that combines a lot of the great speeches in American history. It would be really cool to see you guys react to that as well.
One of the criticisms of politicians is that they love the sound of their own voices. Abraham Lincoln wrote two of the shortest and most beautifully written speeches in the history of the English language (the other is his Second Inaugural Address). Lincoln, who wasn't even the principal speaker, was scheduled to deliver some brief remarks at the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery. They were so brief that the photographer did not have enough time to set up his cumbersome equipment; the photo he took shows Lincoln walking away from the lectern. Preceding Lincoln, the main speech was two-hours long, delivered by famed orator Edward Everett. Imagine that today. After their speeches, Everett wrote to Lincoln, "I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes."
One of my favorite Founding Fathers quotes is from Benjamin Franklin: "Here comes the orator! With his flood of words, and his drop of reason."
With more than 50K casualties, it was the bloodiest single battle of the conflict. The Battle of Gettysburg. It only lasted three days. They said the streams ran red from the blood.
I had to learn this speech, and be able to recite it, back in 4th grade.
Me too! However, I didn't appreciate at the time. 😞
Ronald Regan's speech against tyranny is a great speech to listen to, especially right now with what is going on in the world.
Thank you for viewing this and commenting on it. Gettysburg is significant for two reasons -- the battle and the speech. Until then, the North had been losing most of the battles, and there was growing opposition in the North to the war. General Lee decided to "invade" the north for the first time, because he believed that he could deliver a devastating blow, both militarily and moral-wise, to the North. And then political pressure would grow for the North to "give up" and leave the South alone as a separate nation. But at the end of the 3-day bloody battle, Lee lost -- badly -- and it was on the 4th of July, no less. Then came Lincoln's speech to dedicate the cemetery. But it was more than than dedication remarks. In less than 3 minutes, Lincoln reminded everyone why America existed in the first place, and what democracy is all about -- the idea that all men are created equal, and that the government they create is of the people, by the people, and for the people. In those days, America still was the only democracy in the world -- and Lincoln reminded us that the Civil War was "testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure." We all went through the same test years later, when the US and UK and other Western democracies took on the fascists in World War II, and democracy prevailed again. And today we have the third test -- in the US and in many countries in Western Europe. Democracy is under challenge once again, and Lincoln's short address is as relevant today as it was then.
Sir Winston Churchhill was a brilliant orator! Well after all he was half American. lol!
I am an American. I love Churchill's speech one of the best ever.
Both Lincoln and Churchill were the right people at the right time.
I would recommend y'all watch the 1993 movie "Gettysburg". I'm not saying react to it, because it's 4.5 hours long. It is based off the book, "The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara.
I find it funny when media channels (such as British tabloids) do "scientific body language analysis" of some politician or celebrity. The speakers all take classes on how to fool the media with fake body language as well as acting classes. Does anyone think Meghan Markle didn't spend thousands of dollars on voice, public relations, and acting classes even before she ever heard of Harry? I'd bet anything Oprah's crew gave them lots of tips before the famous interview on how to be likeable, false humble, sympathetic, relatable, ready for victomhood, etc. Prince Andrew seems the only guy too proud to take classes.
This is definitely one of the most iconic, classic speeches of all time, but I would also put Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech in Washington Dc on that list because it is so heartfelt, inspirational and well written and it never fails to give me goosebumps.
"...they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
Obama's 2004 DNC speech also sticks out as a very, very well done speech. Whether you like him or not, he was a fantastic orator.
@@MrCrockaG I forgot about that speech! I watched it live and it was a great speech.
Ronald Reagan had some pretty legendary speeches
@@quickdrawtlaw751 Especially the "Shining City on a Hill" speech.
Ronald Reagan was known as the Great Communicator.
His address to the nation following the Challenger disaster is amazing
To touch the face of God, that always stuck with me when i heard that.
@@theMatch111 That address brought tears to my eyes when I heard it 😭
It felt like a loved one sitting you down and giving comfort over the death of a family member
The pledge was written in 1892 (post civil war) by a socialist minister named Frances Bellamy. Lincoln's Gettysburg address was done after the Battle of Gettysburg. Many politicians stood to give long winded speeches. Lincoln's was the shortest, yet most significant speech. Although he felt it would be forgotten, it never has been.
Well it was Winston Churchill that stated in the greatest of humility “…until the new world with all its power and might steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.” It’s a good reflection on the ages of our countries.
A good leader is a unifier. To speak on what Daz touched on regarding similar speeches not having the same affect over there. Being the "new kid" on the block, our history and what we as a country has had to endure is still fresh. We know how precious freedom is. Whereas you have centuries you can go back and perhaps it's become an expected existence that is taken for granted. Also it must be taken into account our perception both of ourselves as well as the rest of the world as being that shining light on a hill. We are perceived as alway's being the good guy and our citizens, at least, try to live up to that.
JFK secret society speech.
Eisenhower's farewell speech warning of the military industrial complex.
I forget which grade, but I had to memorize and recite the Gettysburg Address back in the 70's in school. It was at the time where Abe had made the emancipation declaration abolishing slavery bring on the American Civil War in the 1800's.
The United States of America was founded July 4th, 1776. The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892.The Gettysburg Address gives me chills every time I read it.
Kennedy’s inauguration speech is amazing
There are a few opening phrases most Americans know, even when they can't identify the document or speech. "Four score and seven years ago, ...", here; "We the people" from the preamble to the Constitution, "One small step for (a) man," from the moon! I recommend Washington's Farewell to the Troops and of course, I Have a Dream.
It was in 1892 that the Pledge of Allegiance was first recited in schools. It was formally adopted by Congress in 1942, and got its name in 1945
and it was written by what we would today consider a fascist.
@Atheos B. Sapien i can define at least a dozen different socialistic models. can you? i can define fascism as laid out by the man that invented it. can you?
doubt it.
i forgot more about political theory and social science than you'll ever know in the first place, clown.
go away.
@Atheos B. Sapien read the Pledge and tell me it isn't a fascist ideology put to words. go on. the recitation of something like the pledge is fascist, by any objective metric used to gauge such things.
and Pope Pious XII made a deal with Hitler to keep him from persecuting Catholics the way he did Jews. Being a priest does not make a person good. Ask any of the boys who've been raped by one over the last couple hundred years. go on. and he wasn't a priest, anyway... the Pledge was written by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister.
seriously. its time for you to shut the fuck up and go back to school. try to pay attention this time, you obviously didn't the first time around.
@Atheos B. Sapien it is fascist. pledging yourself to your country and spouting a rehearsed diatribe is extraordinarily fascist. requiring children to recite it daily is extraordinarily fascist. the fact that you're unable to recognize actual fascism tells me you haven't the first fucking clue what you're talking about. maybe go learn about what fascism entails before posting your ignorance. it would be helpful.
@Atheos B. Sapien ok well, whatever gets you through the night, cupcake. i've pointed out several of your factual inconsistencies (lies or ignorance), so not a single thing you say has any credibility, especially since i am, by anyone's definition of the term, an expert on political systems, and you've never seen the inside of a college classroom.
when i was a freshman, i wrote 20 pages on communism using the Smurfs as an example. what was your Comparative Politics 1113 final paper on?
We had to learn this speech in my 10th grade(high school) History class. Now.....i can guarantee you they don't now. And i have lived in the South all my life. It is one great speech! It was giving after one of the BLOODEST BATTLES EVER. Also that started us, the US....Battlefields and Veterans cemetaries here in the United States. They all are the most beautiful peaceful places are earth. All states have them My parents are buried here in one of the U.S. Veteran cemetaries. And I hope i will be buried there with my husband. Our greatest speech President was Ronald Reagan. There is a video right now people here in the US that is getting alot of attention again. Especially now!
The US thought so highly of Winston Churchill that we named a ship after him.
Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was simple and strong but Churchill’s to rally Britain was inspiring also.
Churchill was a BOSS 😎. FDR’s “Day of Infamy” address to Congress is an epic one too 👍
@@robs8376 Both Churchill and Roosevelt were badass. And they were exactly who we needed at the time to get us through World War II.
The Gettysburg address is significant not only for it says but also how wonderfully it measures up to the momentous events that transpired which necessitated this speech. Churchill's speech, on the other hand, states the obvious that needs to be done to prevent an ominous future..It did not have to measure up to anything..for the gravity of the situation was plain to all the British needed only some to articulate it.
The main speaker at the event had spoke for hours. President Lincoln penned this speech on the train ride to Gettysburg and it took minutes! His words are now the most famous speech in the history of the USA! And very few remember the speaker that spoke for hours. Proof that Less is More!
It was a speech at the dedication of a military cemetery.
I know this dude probably wasn't trying to act as Lincoln but its still funny to hear this "built ford tough" type voice. When Abraham Lincoln was known to have a bit of high pitched voice.
You're correct Dave. In fact, Obama had half the British Parliament in tears one year with his address to the UK. Probably my fav Obama speech. Would make for a good reaction if it wasn't like 40mins long haha
Great speech. Personally, my Favorite Lincoln Speech is his second Inaugural address.
Pleasantly surprised you guys reacted to this. Loved the reaction.
Elementary Schools here in America used to memorize this speech.
Today they are taught the 2,347 different genders.
He wrote his on an envelope on the train from DC to Gettysburg. The ironic point, there was another speaker present was Edward Everett who was a noted orator(had to be good with speeches in those days, no radio, TV or social media, no teleprompters that they use which make most political speeches fake IMHO). Nobody remembers Everett's speech that went on for almost an hour, but Lincoln's short and to the point speech lives on thru the test of time.
In Washington, DC, this speech is on the inner walls of the Lincoln Memorial.
I love the scene in the Science Fiction classic film where the young boy is showing the alien Klaatu around Washington DC and they stop to look at the Lincoln Memorial. As Klaatu reads the inscription of this speech on the walls he seemed stunned and stated "Those are great words, he must have been a very great man."
You should definitely react to Greatest Recorded Speeches in American History on RUclips :)
Some years ago I was translating the Gettysburg address into Russian with the help of a native Russian friend, At the end he said to me "this is an amazing speech which carries so much spirit and meaning",
Ronald Regan Patriotic Speech - we are Americans
The best 2 minutes and 2 seconds of a presidential speech.
Photography was in it's infancy at the time. The photographer in charge that day was setting up his camera and lights, figuring that the president would ramble on (as politicians do) and that he would get the shot. The speech was so brief that the only picture taken was after the speech as he was going down the steps of the platform.
In the movie National Treasure, Nicholas cage quotes a bit of this by saying “they gave their last full measure of devotion.” The Gettysburg Address has been quoted many times, at least bits and pieces of it.
This address came before the Pledge of Allegiance was written. The first version of the Pledge was written in 1885.
Gettysburg is in Pennsylvania and it was the site of what stands to this day as the largest battle in U.S. history 87 years, almost to the day, after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. For the second time in the Civil War, the confederate army had invaded the north with the intent of threatening Washington, D.C. By a hair, they were stopped by the Union Army at Gettysburg. 3 days of fighting, 50,000 casualties, the entire town then became a hospital for the wounded. Though the confederates, under the command of Gen. Robert E. Lee, were forced to retreat back into Virginia, nonetheless the war would take another 2 years and many more lives before it was ended with a Union victory. 4 months after the battle, the new national military cemetery at Gettysburg was ready to be dedicated and Lincoln was invited to give a few “appropriate remarks” after someone else’s 2 hour speech: the world has not remembered what Edward Everett took 2 hours to say, but it has not forgotten Honest Abe’s 2 minute “Gettysburg Address”, and rightly so. Thank you guys for reacting to it.
In this Speach, given on November 19, 1863 at the Dedication of Gettysburg National Cemetery, Abraham Lincoln defines what the country was founded upon in 1776, why the American Civil War had to be fought and what the Country would be After the War... It is Considered the Greatest Use of the English Language in History.
The Speach was actually written in 4 parts. The 1st draft on White House Stationary was written at the Whitehouse in the week leading up to Lincoln leaving for Gettysburg. Not entirely satisfied, Lincoln worked on the Speach at the David Wells House in Gettysburg after supper revising the 2nd half. He then went to talk to his Secretary of State William Seward, and continued to revise the speech... On the morning of November 19, Lincoln and Seward visited the Battlefield, specifically the site of the first days fighting at McPherson's Woods and the Lutheran Theological Seminary. So moved by this visit, he again revised the 2nd half again after returning to the Wills house..right up until the time of the Parade to the Cemetery, thus unable to memorize it. The Speach he held on the Speakers Platform, page one is on Whitehouse Stationery, from the Whitehouse Effort and Page two is on Fools Scrape....Nobody actually knows EXACTLY what Lincoln Actually said giving the Speach as the Newspaper Accounts differ slightly from the written copy he held will giving the speach. Today there are 5 known copies of the Gettysburg Adreess in Lincoln's hand writing. The Copy he held on the Speakers Platform was given to is Private Secretary John Nichole. Edward Everett, the main speaker later asked Lincoln for a Copy, to be sold for Soldiers Relief, the revising spech ended up in the papers of his other Private Secretary John Hay. The Speach he sent to Edward Everett was sold..for Soldiers Relief. Historian George Bancroff asked Lincoln for a copy, to be used for a Booklet he was making on Great American Speeches, unfortunately the first copy was witten on the front and back and thus unusable, so Lincoln Sent him a 2nd Copy. This copy, known as " The Bliss Copy " is considered the Official one and is in the Lincoln Bedroom at the Whitehouse in Washington DC. The Nichole and Hay Copies are in The National Archives and the Copy sent to Edward Everett, ended in Private Hands, but was eventully donated to Cornell University. The Only copy in Public hands.... JMW, Master's Degree in American Civil War History
In the school that I grew up attending (just an hour or 2 from Gettysburg, not far from Philly, ironically... Where the "4 score & 7 yrs ago" refers to), every year the 4th grade (10 yr olds) class would be required to memorize the Gettysburg Address. Every Spring the whole class would travel to Gettysburg, visit the museums, take the battlefield tour & at the end the teacher had the class (20-30 kids) line up at the public entrance to the cemetery. And then passersby or people walking through the park would stop as the 10 year olds did a dramatic group reading of the Gettysburg Address. Anyone who went through that teacher's grade, remembers going to Gettysburg & getting chills during that perfect ending.
The power of this speech, at least for Americans, is that it came when the United States was only 87 years old -- an infant in terms of world history. People in the audience would have had grandparents alive at the founding of the country. And at that point, in 1863, the country was split in two, with every possibility that it would disintegrate. From hindsight, we know it didn't, but the outcome was very much in doubt at the time. And what Lincoln did, in those few lines, was to point out the high stakes and to simply, but firmly, call for Americans to not give up on their dream of self-government but instead to remake the country, to make it better -- to give it a "new birth of freedom." Lincoln not only dedicated a cemetery, he rededicated the entire country to the future it had pledged to achieve two generations before. And every American who hears that speech has to hear that call echoing down to today. Don't give up on our ideals. Work harder to make them a reality. Don't let down everyone who fought for those ideals so many years ago.
I kid you not I was just thinking "it would be cool if yall reacted to the best speeches in US history". Weird how the universe works. Reacting to FDRs speech would be cool.
If you really truly want to know, it has never been explained better than Ken Burns did in the “Civil War“ documentaries series… Here’s the actual clip from that film.
ruclips.net/video/qCXUbQ4JjXI/видео.html
1863 minus 87 years ("four score and seven years ago") = 1776, the 2nd year of the American Revolution. The Gettysburg Address was, partially, a reminder to Americans what was accomplished by winning through great sacrifice in that revolution. The address also challenged Americans, especially non-military people, to remember and hold very dearly the goals of independence, freedom, and liberty.
There are a number of good American speeches but what makes them great is their historical context. This speech is great and memorable. MLK's "I Have A Dream" is great and memorable. Roosevelt great and memorable speech; all pivotal. As for the U.K., recently, QEII's Pandemic speech was great. KCIII as Prince of Wales has delivered a number of good speeches on the environment and religion. Being Head of State vs leader of a political party is the tone changer. KCIII's Christmas speech next year will be the one to wait for. No doubt this year will be more about remembrance of QEII. I think Prince Harry has shown exceptional oracle skills in a couple of his Envictus Games speeches. Nicola Sturgeon is a very good political speaker....for Scotland. Penny Mourdant a very good speaker amongst the Tories. All the politicians seem so compromised that there is a wedge between them and the truth that makes it impossible for them to touch greatness.
Another important point about this speech. . .Lincoln wrote it himself, unlike modern Presidents who have speechwriters crafting their "addresses."
Gettysburg is in Pennsylvania about 2 1/4 hours drive around 140 miles from Philadelphia.
Love your vids
Can you guys do greatest recorded speeches in american history,real worth a watch,to see other great American speeches.
The "Greatest Recorded Speeches in American History" now those are some major ones in that video.
Eisenhower's farewell address was much better and kind of haunting when he talked openly about how we should be afraid of the military industrial complex, and how once war becomes profitable...it will be inevitable to always be in one.
And we have ever since.
No American president ever left as many called shots in their farewell addresses as Eisenhower and Washington. Seriously, everything wrong with America can be traced to how we did not follow either of these men's advice as they were leaving office.
Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer but had very little formal education.
His Gettysburg address is definitely one of the best but imo Lincoln’s second inaugural address is his best speech ever
Churchill was half American, lol. His Mother was from New York. 😊 He's an honorary American.
The Battle of Gettysburg (Pennsylvania) was one of the "turning points" of the American Civil War. The three day battle cost between 46,000 and 51,000 casualties on both sides. The MOST costly battle in US history.
Ronald Reagan's speech about the Berlin Wall, JFK challenging the nation to 'ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country', FDR's 'a day which will live in infamy'...it's somewhat ironic that Lincoln said the world will little note what was said at Gettysburg, but in fact, it's considered the greatest speech in American politics...if the Emancipation Proclamation had been a speech instead of a written policy, it might have been considered the best speech.
Gettysburg is in Pennsylvania. Daz knows his American geography.
a 3 minute speech from Lincoln outshines the speech of the featured speaker
This speech was delivered at the height of the American Civil War.
Remember this...
If the Union hadn't defeated the Confederacy,
We would have been two entirely different countries instead of one beautiful one.
🇺🇸♥️🇬🇧✌️
Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point in the Civil War.
The comments on British speakers makes me point out that Winston Churchill's "Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat" is considered by people in USA as the best ever.
Having given that famous speech, Lincoln still went to his grave firmly believing black people were sub-human.
Churchill had the gift to speak that way BECAUSE HES HALF AMERICAN!!!!!!! 🤙
Great speeches often flow from great occasions. A speech at a battlefield during a war for the soul of a nation is going to stand up better than one during a political campaign, for example.
I don't know if this was mentined yet, but the main speaker, Edward Everett, spoke for 2 hours. Lincoln only spoke for 2 minutes. This was outside in Gettysburg in November. Lots of people had to be cold.
Washington's and MLK's are wonderful, but this is the gold standard. To this day, the most Americans who died in battle died during the Civil War, and they died to preserve the Union and free African slaves. In fact, the Civil War's death toll is comparable to all other major wars combined. A whole book has been written on the style of the sentences alone: the vocabulary, the alliteration, the symbols, the circle of birth, dedication, death. It's poetry in prose. The irony is that the prior speaker that day went on for hours and no one cares. This is what was remembered.
I'm "I don't wanna pause it straight away but..." *proceeds to pause immediately* bloke Dave.
HEY DAVE!
This was my favorite Lincoln tweet
One of my ancestors actually spoke at Gettysburg just before President Lincoln. He spoke for a very long time. After my ancestor concluded his oration, Lincoln remarked to someone else on the stage that his "little speech" would be overlooked. Yet, my ancestor (Edward Everett) gave a speech that is barely a footnote to the powerful address given by Lincoln. BTW, the Gettysburg National Battlefield is an amazing place to visit.
BTW, I don't know that anyone would argue that Biden is a good speaker. I don't think that his own team believe this. Jimmy Carter wasn't very eloquent either. Obama was eloquent. Trump, despite his abrasive personality, was a decent speaker (particularly when speaking extemporaneously). Ronald Reagan, however, was a master speaker. I would place Reagan up there with Winston Churchill.
The Battle of Gettysburg marked the turning point of the Civil War. With more than 50,000 estimated casualties, the three-day engagement was the bloodiest single battle of the conflict.
The ghosts of the dead are close there.. a vast place
He wrote this on the train in route
What's sad is that now today especially with American politicians is that they don't just try to talk s*** about the other side's politicians they also try to talk s*** about the other side's voters as well continuously increasing the divide
If you go back & read about Lincoln, you’ll see that many of his peers & critics truly believed Lincoln was an idiot & was a deeply flawed leader & man.
You guys should check out the pledge of allegiance by an old comedian Red Skelton
A little context. During the Battle of Gettsyburg over 3 days, 51K men died on that land. In some instances, family members serving on both sides of the war. During the Vietnam War that ripped this country apart over 10+years, we lost 58K people. Gives you some idea of what the battlefields of Gettsyburg soaked in blood, bodies, and the injured during those 3 days. There are tours and re-enactment of the battle in July. There is also an amazing book, 'Killer Angels' about the battle, and the movie, 'Gettsyburg'.
View Red Skeltons's ' The Pledge of Allegance' Red was a comedian. It's little know that he was also a war hero.
They could've picked a better voice to present this speech but otherwise iconic.
We certainly do not write or speak like that anymore, and are the poorer for it. If I recall correctly, Lincoln wrote that speech on the back of an envelope while on the train from Washington DC to Gettysburg.
Did you know Winston Churchill wrote a book on the American Civil War. And I think his mother was American too? The search results said: "The American Civil War written by Sir Winston S. Churchill was an in-depth description of the Civil War. Because Churchill was not American, the book provided an international person's view of the war, which was unbiased, unlike other Civil War books. Complete with maps, pictures, and facts, this book is captivating yet should be read in doses." I read it years ago. I wish I had read it in doses too if you know what I mean? 😂
Though the speech was delivered in November 1863, four score and seven years ago is very significant. Four score earlier puts us at 1776. The Battle of Gettysburg took place on July 1 through 3 of 1863. The first day after was July 4 and 87 years earlier puts us at July 4, 1776 - the original Independence Day, when our fathers did indeed bring forth a new nation and so on.
Obama 2004 democratic convention is also iconic.
Obama election speech 2008
Obama on Nelson Mandela’s funeral.
Ronald Reagan was a gifted speaker. He was one of a kind. Just my opinion.
I'm going to start talking like that.
"Four stone and seven pounds ago, I was an athletic person..."
This speech is the Declaration of Independence of the second Founding.