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

nicolay copy
named for john g. nicolay, president lincoln's personal secretary, this is considered the "first draft" of the speech, begun in washington on white house stationery. the second page is writen on different paper stock, indicating it was finished in gettysburg before the cemetery dedication began. lincoln gave this draft to nicolay, who went to gettysburg with lincoln and witnessed the speech. the library of congress owns this manuscript.

four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon 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 come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live. this we may, in all propriety do.

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 hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract. the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here.

it is rather for us, the living, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, 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.

hay copy
believed to be the second draft of the speech, president lincoln gave this copy to john hay, a white house assistant. hay accompanied lincoln to gettysburg and briefly referred to the speech in his diary: "the president, in a fine, free way, with more grace than is his wont, said his half dozen words of consecration." the hay copy, which includes lincoln's handwritten changes, also is owned by the library of congress.

four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon 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 here on a great battlefield of that war. we have come to dedicate a portion of it, 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 can never forget what they did here.

it is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have, thus far, so nobly carried on. 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 the