Gettysburg Address Timeline

(November 19, 1863)

The Gettysburg Address is one of the most famous speeches in American history, delivered by President Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In just over two minutes and fewer than 275 words, Lincoln honored the Union soldiers who died at the Battle of Gettysburg and reaffirmed the nation's commitment to equality, democracy, and 'a new birth of freedom.' More Less

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Origins and Influences

John Hobhouse's speech with 'of the people' phrase

1819

In an 1819 speech, John Hobhouse, 1st Baron Broughton, said, 'I am a man chosen for the people, by the people; and, if elected, I will do no other business than that of the people.' Webster may have been influenced by this phrasing, which in turn may have influenced Lincoln's famous formulation.

Image source: Gettysburg Address

John Hobhouse's speech with 'of the people' phrase

Daniel Webster's 'Second Reply to Hayne' speech

Jan 26, 1830

In his 'Second Reply to Hayne' speech, Daniel Webster declared, 'Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and inseparable!' and described the federal government as 'made for the people, made by the people, and answerable to the people,' possibly influencing Lincoln's use of 'government of the people, by the people, for the people.'

Joseph Story delivers dedication address at Mount Auburn Cemetery

1831

The tradition of lengthy dedication addresses at cemeteries began in 1831 when Justice Joseph Story delivered a lengthy dedication address at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts, setting a precedent for ceremonial orations such as Everett's at Gettysburg.

Chadwick traces Lincoln phrase to Theodore Parker sermons

1901

In 'A more probable origin of a famous Lincoln phrase', published in 1901 in The American Monthly Review of Reviews, Unitarian minister John White Chadwick observed that Lincoln's law partner William Herndon was known to have brought Lincoln several sermons by abolitionist minister Theodore Parker, which proved inspiring and influential to Lincoln.

The Address and Its Delivery

Battle of Gettysburg fought

Jul 1, 1863 - Jul 3, 1863

The Battle of Gettysburg was fought between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War, and its aftermath prompted the creation of Soldiers' National Cemetery on the battlefield grounds.

Cemetery layout described with proposed national monument

Nov 1863

In November 1863, a correspondent from the Cincinnati Daily Commercial described the dividing lines between state grave plots at the Gettysburg National Cemetery, then under construction, as 'the radii of a common center, where a flag pole is now raised, but where it is proposed to erect a national monument.'

Lincoln departs Washington, D.C. for Gettysburg

Nov 18, 1863

On November 18, 1863, Lincoln departed Washington, D.C., traveling to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where he arrived that evening and revised his address before the following day's dedication ceremony.

Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address

Nov 19, 1863

Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on the afternoon of November 19, 1863, during the formal dedication of Soldiers' National Cemetery, now known as Gettysburg National Cemetery, on the grounds where the Battle of Gettysburg had been fought four and a half months earlier.

Lincoln opens address referencing the Declaration of Independence

Nov 19, 1863

Lincoln began his address with a reference to the Declaration of Independence of 1776: '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.'

Manuscript Copies

Lincoln gives Everett copy to Edward Everett

Jan 1, 1864 - Mar 31, 1864

The Everett copy, also known as the 'Everett-Keyes copy', was given to Edward Everett by Lincoln in early 1864, after Everett requested it following the dedication ceremony.

Lincoln writes the Bancroft copy

Feb 1864

The Bancroft copy of the Gettysburg Address was written out by Lincoln in February 1864, following the ceremonial dedication, at the request of George Bancroft, a former Secretary of the Navy and historian known as the 'father of American History'.

Nicolay and Hay appointed custodians of Lincoln's papers

1874

In 1874, Nicolay and Hay were appointed custodians of Lincoln's papers by Robert Todd Lincoln, Lincoln's son, giving them stewardship over documents including copies of the Gettysburg Address.

Nicolay copy appears in facsimile in Nicolay's article

1894

After appearing in facsimile in an article written by John Nicolay in 1894, the Nicolay copy was presumably among the papers given to Hay by Nicolay's daughter, Helen, following Nicolay's death in 1901.

Nicolay writes about the first draft of the speech

1894

In an 1894 article, which included a facsimile of the Nicolay copy, Nicolay wrote that Lincoln brought the first part of the speech written in ink on Executive Mansion stationery, and that he wrote the second page in pencil on lined paper before the ceremonial dedication on November 19.

Nicolay dies; Nicolay copy passes to John Hay

1901

This copy of the Gettysburg Address apparently remained in John Nicolay's possession until his death in 1901, when it passed to his friend and colleague John Hay.

Hay copy of the address announced to the public

1906

The Hay copy of the address was first announced to the public in 1906, following a search for the original manuscript of the Gettysburg Address.

Robert Lincoln discovers the Hay draft

1908

In 1908, Robert Lincoln began searching for the original copy of the Gettysburg Address, leading to his discovery of a handwritten copy that was part of the bound papers of John Hay, a copy now known as the 'Hay copy' or 'Hay draft'.

Hay and Nicolay copies donated to Library of Congress

1916

Lincoln eventually gave the Hay copy of the speech to Hay, whose descendants donated it and the Nicolay copy to the Library of Congress in 1916.

Bancroft copy donated to Cornell University

1949

The Bancroft copy was held by the Bancroft family for many years, and was later sold to various dealers and purchased by Nicholas and Marguerite Lilly Noyes, who donated it to Cornell University in 1949.

Cintas purchases Bliss copy at auction

1949

Cintas, a wealthy collector of art and manuscripts, purchased the Bliss copy at a public auction in 1949 for $54,000 ($731,000 as of 2025), at that time the highest price ever paid for a document at public auction.

Bliss copy transferred to the White House

1959

Cintas, who died in 1957, willed the Gettysburg Address to the American people, provided it would be kept at the White House, where it was transferred in 1959 after Cintas' properties were claimed by the Castro government following the Cuban Revolution.

Albert H. Small collection displays Bliss copy

Nov 21, 2008 - Jan 1, 2009

From November 21, 2008, to January 1, 2009, the Albert H. Small collection displayed a copy of the Gettysburg Address, allowing the public to view the historic document.

Legacy and Commemoration

The Perfect Tribute popularizes misunderstanding of the address

1906

A widely held misunderstanding may have originated with The Perfect Tribute, a 1906 book by Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews, which was assigned reading for generations of schoolchildren, sold 600,000 copies, and was twice adapted into a movie.

Goulden's recollections summarized in House remarks

1914

In 1931, the printed recollections of 87-year-old Mrs. Goulden were summarized in remarks to the House of Representatives in 1914, preserving eyewitness accounts of the dedication ceremony at Gettysburg.

Rathvon's reminiscences recorded in Boston

Feb 12, 1938

One year before his death in 1939, Rathvon's reminiscences were recorded on February 12, 1938, at WRUL in Boston, including his reading the address, and a 78 RPM record was pressed.

Josephine Cobb identifies Lincoln in Gettysburg photo

1952

Lincoln's presence in a photo taken at Gettysburg was identified in 1952 by Josephine Cobb, an archivist who enlarged a mislabeled glass plate negative from Mathew Brady's collection of photographic plates at the National Archives and Records Administration.

Kennedy references Gettysburg Address in Gettysburg speech

Jul 1963

In July 1963, President Kennedy referenced the Battle of Gettysburg and Gettysburg Address during his own speech in Gettysburg, saying, 'Five score years ago, the ground on which we here stand shuddered under the clash of arms and was consecrated for all time by the blood of American manhood.'

Tilberg concludes Selleck Site is below Cemetery Hill crest

1973

In 1973, retired park historian Frederick Tilberg concluded the Selleck Site is 25 feet (7.6 m) lower than the crest of Cemetery Hill, and that only the crest presents a panoramic view of the battlefield, informing debates over the exact location of the speaker's stand.

Kentucky Memorial erected near Soldiers' National Monument

1975

The Kentucky Memorial, erected in 1975, is directly adjacent to the Soldiers' National Monument, and states, 'Kentucky honors her son, Abraham Lincoln, who delivered his immortal address at the site now marked by the soldiers' monument.' Its position supports the monument site as a credible location for the speech.

Harrison proposes Evergreen Cemetery location

1982

In 1982, Senior Park Historian Kathleen Georg Harrison analyzed photographs and proposed the location of the speaker's platform in Evergreen Cemetery, though she has not published her analysis.

Rathvon recording aired on NPR's Quest for Sound

1999

A copy of Rathvon's 1938 recording of his reminiscences and reading of the address was later aired by National Public Radio (NPR) during its 'Quest for Sound' project in 1999.

Patriot-News retracts original criticism of the address

2013

In 2013, on the sesquicentennial of the address, The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, retracted its original reporting on the address, which it had described as 'silly remarks' deserving 'the veil of oblivion', acknowledging its judgment was flawed and tainted by hubris.

Gettysburg Replies book compiled

2015

In 2015, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation compiled Gettysburg Replies: The World Responds to Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, a book that challenges leaders to craft 272-word responses celebrating Lincoln, the Gettysburg Address, or a related topic.

'Placing the Platform' presented at Lincoln Forum XXVII

Nov 18, 2022

One result concluded, 'Placing the Platform: Using 3D Technology to Pinpoint Lincoln at Gettysburg', was presented on November 18, 2022, at the Lincoln Forum XXVII in Gettysburg, using modern technology to determine the exact location of Lincoln's delivery of the address.

Key Facts

Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, at the dedication ceremony for the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
The speech was remarkably brief—about two minutes and roughly 270 words—yet it became one of the most influential orations in American history.
Lincoln's speech followed a lengthy two-hour address by famed orator Edward Everett, who later wrote to Lincoln praising the conciseness and power of his remarks.
The Address reframed the Civil War as a struggle not only to preserve the Union but to fulfill the promise of human equality stated in the Declaration of Independence.
Lincoln's closing line about 'government of the people, by the people, for the people' became an enduring definition of American democracy.

Source

This Gettysburg Address timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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