Who was the Keynote Speaker at Gettysburg - November 19, 1863?

Edward Everett was an American politician, pastor, educator, diplomat and public speaker. Americans knew that a great speech was coming and needed to memorialize the lives that were lost at Gettysburg. The battle had been so comprehensive, and its result so profound, that a lasting statement was needed to mark the burial of the dead. Accordingly, an invitation went out to the person most likely to give this great speech - Edward Everett. Edward Everett had spent his life preparing for this moment. If anyone could put the battle into a broad historical context, it was he. He spoke for 2 hours. His speech was approximately 13,000 words. President Lincoln was not asked to be the keynote speaker but was on the program to say a few remarks. This he did - 272 words exactly. The rest, as they say, is history. Everett recognized immediately, Lincoln's achievement. The next day Everett wrote President Lincoln: "I should be glad, if I could flatter myself, that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours, as you did in two minutes."

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53 Comments

ginnycollier

I'd like to say I got it right, but like most folks I went went with Lincoln. Good question followed by an excellent historical review..

rkcorrigan

Good, informative question and, like jinnycollier, I got it wrong!

Char

ginnycollier, I did too never heard of him

Peter Hamrol

Sneaky ... of course I got it wrong when I picked good ol' Abe.

Noel Gavin

Let’s not be confused here. Lincoln delivered what is knows as the Gettysburg address. Everett deliver an oration which lasted 2 hours and I believe was common to have such orations at evens like Gettysburg in those days. He was therefore a keynote speaker, but what we know as the Gettysburg Address was delivered by the great man himself, President Lincoln.

matthew rosa

The Whole Situation MUST'VE Had An Impact That We Can Feel To This Very Day!-For Even Though I Can't Find The Two-Hour Speech That Everett Spoke, Finding Lincoln's Two Minutes Is No Problem!

Alan Straff

A pure guess, Grant and Lincoln just seemed too obvious so it was a case of either/or from the remaining pair.

Tom Seigo

It seemed like a trick question and I went with Lincoln. I did however, learn much in reading the narrative and discovering that a known public speaker humbled himself by yielding to the words of one of America's most loved Presidents.

Douglas Oaten

Educated guess. Lincoln was too obvious

Marc Chabot

Erreur selon le lien c est Lincoln.

Ming Apolinario

The Gettysburg speech by Abraham Lincoln was a favorite elocution piece in my high school years. I still can recite the whole piece 50+ years after memorizong it. Epic.qq

Pierre Poirier

I smelled a rat. I was right. I picked one of the not Abe choices. And guessed right

Chandran David

OK ! But it was President Abraham Lincoln who stole the show ; If once you mention Gettysburg address Lincoln's name crops up immediately . Isn't it ? However I got a NEW information.It is a good question and answer .