Lincoln's carefully crafted address was not even the main presentations that day. But in just over two minutes, Lincoln eloquently spoke of the principles of human equality as espoused in the Declaration of Independence. He described the war not just as a struggle for the Union, but as "a new birth of freedom" that would bring about equality for all.
The address began with the eternally famous phrase "Four score and seven years ago," referring to the American Revolution of 1776. Lincoln examined the founding principles of the United States in the context of the Civil War, and used the ceremony at Gettysburg as an opportunity not only to consecrate the grounds of a cemetery, but also to plead with his listeners and the nation to ensure the survival of American democracy, when he said that the "government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
Despite the speech's prominent place in history, the exact wording of the speech is disputed. There are five known manuscripts of the Gettysburg Address which differ in a number of details and also differ from contemporary newspaper reprints of the speech.
Following is a YouTube video in which actor Jeff Daniels recites the address. Almost a century and a half later, the words are no less stirring and eloquent.