Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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On November 19, 1863, 162 years ago today, President Abraham Lincoln of the United States of America delivered his remarks at the opening of the Gettysburg National Military Cemetery, months after the Battle of Gettysburg, the deadliest battle fought in North America, with over 50,000 casualties reported. The main speaker of the ceremony was former senator and former Secretary of State Edward Everett, who delivered a verbose two-hour speech. President Lincoln followed him with one that was only two minutes. Critics originally panned Lincoln's speech, leering at its brevity and partisan lean. But Everett, one of the nation's foremost orators at the time praised the president: "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." Lincoln had the last laugh, as it would go down as one of the greatest and most well-remembered speeches in American history. I myself am glad he kept it short - I had to memorize it in my 7th Grade Speech class!

The following two recordings were made sometime around 33 years and 37 years after the original speech respectively. It is a recitation by Russell Hunting, one of the most popular recording artists of the 1890s. The first cylinder, dating from about 1896 (Cylinder 13669) may be the earliest recording of this speech in existence. The audio becomes difficult to hear towards its end, but his voice is still audible. The second, from circa 1900 (Cylinder 16989), is much clearer, showing how much recording technology had improved in just a short time. Both provide a unique auditory glimpse into a world in which the Civil War which nearly tore the Union apart was only as removed from them as the length of time between ourselves and the 1990s.