Quick answer“Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” is a famous quote by Abraham Lincoln. It comes from Gettysburg Address (1863). In the closing line of the Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln summed up American democracy in a single phrase: government 'of the people, by the people, for the people'.
In the closing line of the Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln summed up American democracy in a single phrase: government 'of the people, by the people, for the people'. He spoke the words on 19 November 1863, dedicating a cemetery for the soldiers killed at Gettysburg.
Origin: Closing line of the Gettysburg Address, delivered on 19 November 1863 at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The words come from the Bliss copy, the last of the five copies Lincoln wrote out by hand and the only one he signed and dated; it is the standard text, carved on the wall of the Lincoln Memorial. In the manuscript the line runs on mid-sentence in lower case ('...that government of the people...'); the capitalised opening is the usual way the closing phrase is quoted on its own.
Key facts
| Quote | “Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” |
|---|---|
| Author | Abraham Lincoln |
| Source | Gettysburg Address (1863) |
| Themes | freedom, leadership |
| Language | English |
Overview
Lincoln had been invited to say a few words at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery, four months after the Battle of Gettysburg, the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. The main speaker, Edward Everett, talked for two hours; Lincoln spoke for about two minutes, in 272 words. He opened by recalling the nation's founding on the idea that all men are created equal, and closed by resolving that the dead should not have died in vain, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people should not perish from the earth. The phrase gives democracy its classic definition: a government that belongs to the people, is run by them, and works for them. Five copies of the speech survive in Lincoln's hand; the Bliss copy, written in 1864, is the text most often reprinted and the one carved into the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.
Frequently asked questions
When did Lincoln deliver the Gettysburg Address?
On 19 November 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, four months after the battle there. Lincoln spoke for about two minutes, after the main speaker, Edward Everett, had talked for two hours. The cemetery held the Union dead from the battle.
What does 'of the people, by the people, for the people' mean?
It defines democracy in three parts: government belongs to the people, is carried on by the people, and exists for the people's benefit. Lincoln used it to say the Union was worth preserving because it was a government of that kind.
Which copy of the Gettysburg Address is the standard text?
The Bliss copy, written out by Lincoln in 1864 for Colonel Alexander Bliss. It is the last of the five copies in his handwriting, the only one he signed and dated, and the version carved on the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.
Why is the Gettysburg Address so famous?
In 272 words it restated the Civil War as a test of whether a nation founded on equality could survive, and it gave democracy its most quoted definition. Its closing line is still cited around the world whenever democracy itself is debated.
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Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.