When Abraham Lincoln addressed the crowd at the new national cemetery in
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on November 19, 1863, he intended his speech
to be his most eloquent statement on the inextricable link between
equality and democracy. However, unwilling to commit to equality at that
time, the nation stood ill-prepared to accept the full message of
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. In the ensuing century, groups wishing to
advance a particular position hijacked Lincoln's words for their own
ends, highlighting the specific parts of the speech that echoed their
stance while ignoring the rest. Only as the nation slowly moved toward
equality did those invoking Lincoln's speech come closer to recovering
his true purpose. In this incisive work, Jared Peatman seeks to
understand Lincoln's intentions at Gettysburg and how his words were
received, invoked, and interpreted over time, providing a timely and
insightful analysis of one of America's most legendary orations.
After reviewing the events leading up to November 19, 1863, Peatman
examines immediate responses to the ceremony in New York, Gettysburg
itself, Confederate Richmond, and London, showing how parochial concerns
and political affiliations shaped initial coverage of the day and led to
the censoring of Lincoln's words in some locales. He then traces how,
over time, proponents of certain ideals invoked the particular parts of
the address that suited their message, from reunification early in the
twentieth century to American democracy and patriotism during the world
wars and, finally, to Lincoln's full intended message of equality during
the Civil War centennial commemorations and the civil rights movement of
the 1960s. Peatman also explores foreign invocations of the Gettysburg
Address and its influence on both the Chinese constitution of 1912 and
the current French constitution. An epilogue highlights recent and even
current applications of the Gettysburg Address and hints at ways the
speech might be used in the future.
By tracing the evolution of Lincoln's brief words at a cemetery
dedication into a revered document essential to American national
identity, this revealing work provides fresh insight into the enduring
legacy of Abraham Lincoln and his Gettysburg Address on American history
and culture.
