".....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."

This is considered by most historians to be the most famous and greatest speech ever delivered in American history! President Abraham Lincoln delivered his now immortal Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldier's National Cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on November 19, 1863. This is the complete speech as written by President Lincoln, and is signed and dated, Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1863. This of course is not the original document, but rather is a copy printed on an antique looking parchment paper. When folded in half it forms 2 pages that measure 6 3/4 x 10 1/2 each. When the document is fully opened, to view both pages at the same time, it measures 13 3/4 x 10 1/2. This is a neat item to put on display in your home or office, or with a Lincoln or Gettysburg display. The parchment like paper is very crisp, but it does show some fold lines which do not really detract from Lincoln's historic manuscript. There are no rips or tears in it, and it is a very clean copy that is very boldly printed displaying Lincoln's distinctive handwriting. A desirable, fun and educational item to have in your collection. It makes for a superb display item!

Below is a complete transcription of the famous speech:

"Address delivered at the dedication of the Cemetery at Gettysburg.

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."

Ironically, Lincoln was very wrong about something that he said in his immortal address. I refer to the sentence; "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here." Although he was right in his second thought in this sentence, the world absolutely remembers what they did here at the epic 3 day battle of Gettysburg, where the tide of the Civil War changed. However, it was the first part of that sentence that proved President Lincoln to be totally wrong; the world did note, and it did long remember what he said at Gettysburg! As I said earlier, his Gettysburg Address is considered by many to be the most famous speech in American history!