The 7 Greatest Speeches In Modern History

Published May 3, 2012
Updated March 13, 2017

“The Gettysburg Address,” Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln Arrow

Wikimedia CommonsAbraham Lincoln (identified by red arrow) at Gettysburg not long before giving his famous address.

Delivered by Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863, the Gettysburg Address is arguably the most famous speech in American history. Though the original wording is unknown, the short speech – given during the American Civil War at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania – encapsulated the very things that define America as a nation.

Highlight:

“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 are created equal.”

author
Mamta Bhatt
author
editor
John Kuroski
editor
John Kuroski is the editorial director of All That's Interesting. He graduated from New York University with a degree in history, earning a place in the Phi Alpha Theta honor society for history students. An editor at All That's Interesting since 2015, his areas of interest include modern history and true crime.