American Debates and Speeches

Tall, awkward Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address in just four minutes. It was only 272 words. Even after the tragic deaths of thousands of Union soldiers, Lincoln imagines a united country. His words spoke not just to the living audience, but also to future Americans. The brilliance of this speech is its poetic brevity and Lincoln''s ability to mark the beginning of America with the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution. This book traces the history of this great speech, giving readers a sense of both the historical context and the person who wrote these enduring words.