Lincoln’s now famous Gettysburg Address was not, on the occasion of its delivery, recognized as the masterpiece that it is today. Lincoln was not even the primary speaker at the ceremonies, held at the height of the Civil War in 1863, to dedicate the battlefield at Gettysburg. The main speaker was orator Edward Everett, whose two-hour speech was followed by Lincoln’s shorter remarks. Lincoln began his small portion of the program with the words that today are immediately recognized by
most Americans : “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 created equal.” At the
time of the speech, little notice was given to what Lincoln had said, and Lincoln considered his appearance at the ceremonies rather unsuccessful. After his speech appeared in print, appreciation
for his words began to grow, and today it is recognized as one of the all-time greatest speeches