On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln delivered America's most famous address at Gettysburg, a small Pennsylvania town still showing the great scars of the battle fought there four months earlier. While the speech lasted scarcely two minutes, its iconic lines that began with "four score and seven years ago" have had a lasting impact on world history and Lincoln's enduring legacy, as people through the ages have looked to his words for inspiration.
Lincoln’s address was not universally applauded in its immediate aftermath, but over the years, his declaration "that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom" has become a guidepost in the struggle for democracy. Who influenced Lincoln as he reached for the right words? Did he draw inspiration from a newspaper reporter whose own son was killed at Gettysburg?
During this 100th anniversary year of the Lincoln Memorial, join author and journalist Chuck Raasch as he explores the history of the Gettysburg Address, how it surprised onlookers, was ridiculed by the press, and yet remains one of the greatest speeches ever given.
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