what was the gettysburg address?

The Gettysburg Address was a brief but profound speech delivered by President Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, following the pivotal battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. In this speech, Lincoln honored the fallen soldiers and redefined the purpose of the war by emphasizing the principles of liberty and equality, as well as the commitment to a "new birth of freedom" for the nation. The address, famously starting with "Four score and seven years ago," underscored the nation's founding in liberty and the proposition that all men are created equal. Lincoln's message was a call for dedication to the unfinished work of preserving the nation and ensuring that government "of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." The speech was remarkably short—only about two minutes and 272 words—but it has become one of the most iconic speeches in American history.