Gettysburg address

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Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln

Byrd Darryl

HPU

Course HIST 6602

11 Feb 2025

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Daryl, the requirement requires you to append the document so I can examine the document you looked at. The whole point of the assignment is to verify the precise document you examined and establish its provenance an authenticity.

The chosen primary source is from the National Constitution Center, of the sources from

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. But the website does not present a full

version of the GA. The Gettysburg Address is one of the most important speeches in the history

of the USA because it was delivered on November 19, 1863, by the then-president of the USA,

Abraham Lincoln. It contained some of Lincoln's vision for the country during the Civil War and

after?. The speech signifies unity and equality for a nation in the dedication of freedom. Several

versions of this speech exist, each of which reflects language differences while still retaining the

quality of the original speech (National Constitution Center, 2018). Therefore, this paper will

study the provenance of the five major versions of the Gettysburg Address as enumerated by

Official, Hay, Everett, Bancroft, and Bliss by viewing "who," "what," "why," "when," "where,"

and "utility" of each document. OK – but without seeing the five examples yourself (they are not

listed on the website you are using), this is a meaningless endeavor. You are not evaluating a

primary source – you are simply regurgitating someone else’s (secondary) evaluation of the

differences between the copies. Without seeing them yourself, you cannot possibly know that

this description is accurate. Which is the entire purpose of the exercise. We try to know and

relate all these aspects to the historical context of these versions and their usefulness at large as

primary sources in historical research. To make this work for the assignment, is to find and

append the five copies and verify for yourself the differences for yourself.

Who

Abraham Lincoln served as the 16th President of America to pen The Gettysburg

Address. When the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg staged its dedication event after

the Gettysburg conflict Lincoln appeared to deliver an elegant speech. The speech thanks the

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dead soldiers while confirming that the Union supports a democratic government founded for

and by the people.

Various individuals transcribed multiple versions of the speech, which complicates its

historical origin. John Nicolay wrote down Lincoln's speech as his private secretary immediately

after it finished, and he produced The Official Version (National Constitution Center, 2018). The

transcription undertaken by Nicolay became the primary authoritative source for publishing this

speech after Lincoln delivered it. So find this copy and append it and verify for yourself the

differences between it and later versions (and most importantly discuss WHY you think the

differences exist.) The Hay Version has dual significance as an important early transcription

since it was created by John Hay, who worked with Nicolay. How is it different? When was it

copied? (you need to look at this version to verify its differences)

Several other drafts emerged from joint Lincoln-compiler and publisher work during his

lifetime. A version of the Gettysburg Address named after Edward Everett, who spoke at the

same event in Gettysburg, exists because of his notable speech there. Everett delivered a very

lengthy speech compared to Lincoln's address at Gettysburg, which was recorded during the

commemorative proceedings (National Constitution Center, 2018). So why is it named after

Everett? Did he transcribe the original? When? Where? The historian George Bancroft served as

the transcriber for Bancroft’s Version when did this happen? Why?, although Lincoln personally

approved Bliss’s Version as the official edition, why ?making it the most formal signed copy of

the speech. Who is Bliss? How did he come to transcribe the address?

These published versions demonstrate that Lincoln's speech evolved under the influence

of different individuals who completed the transcriptions resulting in variations between

accuracy and formal presentation. (OK, but since you have not looked at these versions, you

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cannot know this for certain can you?) Since Nicolay and Hay worked near Lincoln at the time

of his speech, their transcriptions prove they were immediately authentic documents (National

Constitution Center, 2018). You mean they are considered to be the most accurate of the

versions?The later publications from Bancroft and Bliss when were these published? How did

they get published? tended to present official and refined versions that aligned with the interest

in creating permanent statements after Lincoln's death. So how were they different? What

statements did they desire to make? How can you know this?

What

As a political speech, The Gettysburg Address serves two goals, which are to

commemorate soldiers (whose? Ll?) at Gettysburg and reestablish the American dedication to

democratic principles. The Official Version, which Nicolay transcribed, stands as the most

authentic version of Lincoln's speech because it includes the famous phrase about people

governing themselves (National Constitutional Center, 2018). What makes it the official version?

Who decided that? When? Why? When did Nicolay transcribe it? The Hay Version, together

with the Everett Version, show minor differences in wording, although they maintain Lincoln's

fundamental thought process. OK – so the whole point of the exercise is to look at those ‘minor

differences’, identify them and explain them.

The Bancroft Version provides a polished rendition what does this mean? yet the Bliss

Version stands as the most popular version which appears in official publications. Why? The

documents found their way to memorials and archives because they represented Lincoln's dream

for nation unification symbolically. Again you are just copying what you read at the NCC. Since

you have not apparently looked at any of the five copies in their entirety, then you simply cannot

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know that anything the NCC says is accurate – which is the entire point of the exercise! Nor

have you engaged with he differences between the copies.

Why

The Gettysburg Address served mainly to sanctify the cemetery while paying tribute to

the soldiers who perished during the Battle of Gettysburg. The speech by Lincoln functioned as a

brief but forceful statement showing both the ethical import and the governmental significance of

the Civil War. He aimed to show the nation what its fundamental principles were especially

equality for everyone.

After Lincoln gave his speech the subsequent versions were published to ensure his

words would survive. Multiple versions of the text were made and published as various

publications sought to record Lincoln's original statements during the ceremony or distribute his

words beyond the crowd and record political support or archival documentation (National

Constitutional Center, 2018). The Hay Version and Everett Version appeared shortly after the

event for speech memorialization purposes but the final versions emerged to create official

formal expressions for ceremonial and archival purposes. So we have not established the

chronological order of the iterations so the when remains unclear.

When

On November 19th of 1863, Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at Gettysburg's

Soldiers' National Cemetery. The delivery took place during the American Civil War when

conflicting political views split the American people while lasting only a short time. Lincoln

strove to pay tribute to those who died while using his speech as a call to action for both Union

preservation and protection of liberty. The date is well known. The when that matters is WHEN

were each of the 5 iterations created/disseminated.

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The different versions of the text were published at various times. Nicolay and Hay

recorded the Official Version of the address soon after Lincoln's speech, while the transcriptions

happened within weeks and days of the delivery. We need to know precisely – this is critically

important. The writers transcribed the Everett Version before it went into print right after the

ceremony. Bancroft released the most refined version in 1863 after its initial publication

(National Constitutional Center, 2018). After Lincoln approved the Bliss Version at the

beginning of 1864, it secured its place as the official version before it went to print in 1864. The

principal factors of Civil War chronology, along with public requirements for a unifying national

statement, determined how Lincoln's speech was recorded and distributed at that time. Again you

are simply regurgitating what the NCC says.

Where

The Gettysburg Address originated from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, which contained the

grounds where one of the deadliest battles of the Civil War took place. The speech took place

outside at the Soldiers' National Cemetery on the ground, where many thousands suffered death

during battle. The place held great symbolism to Lincoln because he intended to bless the land in

which many Union soldiers sacrificed their lives.

Multiple versions of the speech were transcribed before they received their first print in

separate publishing sites. According to historical records, the production of The Official Version

and Hay Version took place in Washington, D.C., due to their connection with political settings.

The Bliss Version gained the most widespread reproduction after it emerged from the White

House thus indicating its official nature (National Constitutional Center, 2018). The geographic

environment where different versions originated or were published directly influenced their

reception. Washington, DC, served as the political headquarters, and Gettysburg functioned as

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the spiritual center of the war initiative. But did where they were published influence the

differences that emerged between the versions? That is the key.

Utility

Less than twelve months after the Battle of Gettysburg President Lincoln wrote the

Gettysburg Address that focused on national unity together with equality and purpose while the

nation faced Civil War. Through this statement, Lincoln outlines his national goals, which value

both the United States' unity and individual freedoms. Several different recensions ? of the

document create doubts regarding its reliability (National Constitutional Center, 2018). And the

purpose of the exercise is for you to examine this concern about reliability and answer it. Which

is the most authentic version and why? The Bliss Version stands as the most authentic version

among the three – on what basis do you make this assessment? (You cannot, all you are doing is

parroting the NCC website. but the Everett and Hay Versions present recordings and adaptations

performed by different individuals. The original versions maintain low levels of subjective

influence?, yet institutional elements in the publication phase could influence the content?. How?

– again this is the critical analysis you need to do. A careful analysis of Lincoln's Gettysburg

Address requires researchers to handle various versions with caution due to the way they were

recorded and published during different stages of transmission. So which is the most

unadulterated and why?

Conclusion

Among the most important historical speeches in American history stands the Gettysburg

Address, which demonstrates the political, intellectual, and social climate of the Civil War period

through its different versions. Multiple versions of the speech provide us with valuable

information about the address's influence while explaining its formation of American public

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opinion. The multiple versions present different word choices, but they showcase Lincoln’s

dedication to freedom and equality, which establishes them as essential historical documents

explaining both wartime conditions and the continuing relevance of the Gettysburg Address

.

References

National Constitutional Center. (2018). Read six different versions of the Gettysburg Address -

National Constitution Center. National Constitution Center – Constitutioncenter.org.

https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/read-six-different-versions-of-the-gettysburg-address

B- 12/15

Darryl,

You have not adreswed the assignment’s requirements properly. You have not looked at a full

copy of the GA nor directly at any of the other iterations. All you have done is to copy what the

NCC has to say. Without looking at the original primary sources yourself, you cannot know

whether what is says is true or not. Nor have you really attempted to identify the most authentic

copies by looking at the wording and its differences between the copies. No attempt ahs been

made to explain the differences between the copies. So you have not effectively established the

provenance of this source. It very explicitly calls for you to examine the primary source itsef

(and not just a snippet). Please read the requirements of assignments carefully and ask if you are

confused. This is your second attempt and you still have not fully grasped its requirements.

Copying what the NCC has to say is not what the assignment requires. It requires you to engage

closely with the original source and establish it provenance.