The Gettysburg Address was a short speech by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War (1861-1865). He delivered the address on Nov. 19, 1863, at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. Lincoln's elegant wording helped make the address one of the best-remembered speeches in American history. Credit: Library of Congress

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on Nov. 19, 1863, 155 years ago today, at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. Credit: Library of Congress

Lincoln wrote five different versions of the speech. He wrote most of the first version in Washington, D.C., and probably completed it at Gettysburg. He probably wrote the second version at Gettysburg on the evening before he delivered his address. He held this second version in his hand during the address. But he made several changes as he spoke. The most important change was to add the phrase “under God” after the word “nation” in the last sentence. Lincoln also added that phrase to the three versions of the address that he wrote after the ceremonies at Gettysburg.

Click to view larger image The Gettysburg Address is a short speech that President Abraham Lincoln delivered on Nov. 19, 1863, during the American Civil War. Lincoln spoke at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. This speech has become one of the most famous in United States history. The first page of a draft of the address is shown here. Credit: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division/National Archives

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This first page of a draft of the Gettysburg Address is part of an exhibit at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Credit: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division/National Archives

Lincoln wrote the final version of the address—the fifth written version—in 1864. This version also differed somewhat from the speech he actually gave, but it was the only copy he signed. It is carved on a stone plaque in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.