The standard version of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address contains 271 words.
Lincoln delivered the speech on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He spoke after the main oration by Edward Everett, whose address was much longer. Lincoln’s remarks lasted about two minutes.
The 271-word figure generally refers to the Bliss copy, the final manuscript Lincoln wrote and signed after the ceremony. Five manuscript copies of the address are known, and they differ slightly in wording, punctuation, and even word count. That is why published counts can vary depending on which version is used.
The speech connected the Civil War to the founding ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence. Lincoln described the conflict as a test of whether a nation based on liberty and equality could survive. Although the address was brief, it later became one of the most influential speeches in American history.