What is the title of Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 speech at the dedication of a Pennsylvania cemetery?

Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 speech at the dedication of a Pennsylvania cemetery was the Gettysburg Address.

Lincoln delivered the speech on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The cemetery honored Union soldiers who died during the Battle of Gettysburg, a major turning point in the American Civil War. Lincoln spoke after a longer address by Edward Everett, but his brief remarks became the event’s enduring centerpiece.

The address connected the Civil War to the principles of equality and self-government expressed in the Declaration of Independence. Lincoln described the conflict as a test of whether a nation founded on those principles could endure. He also presented the cemetery dedication as a renewal of national purpose rather than simply a ceremony of mourning.

There are five known manuscript copies associated with Lincoln, and wording and punctuation vary slightly among them. The speech is commonly remembered as extremely short, but its exact word count depends on which version is used. It should not be confused with Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation or either inaugural address.