Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863.
Lincoln spoke at the dedication of Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, about four and a half months after the Battle of Gettysburg. The speech reflected on the Civil War and connected the conflict to the principles of equality and self-government associated with the nation's founding.
The address was brief, lasting only a few minutes, and followed a much longer speech by Edward Everett. Its concise style helped make it one of the most remembered speeches in American history.
The speech is often associated with the battlefield itself, but the ceremony took place at the cemetery site. Another common misunderstanding is that Lincoln was the event's main speaker from the outset; Everett was the featured orator, while Lincoln delivered the dedication remarks that later became famous.