The Gettysburg Address

In this episode of "In Our Time," Melvyn Bragg and a panel of historians—Catherine Clinton, Susan-Mary Grant, and Tim Lockley—delve into Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. They discuss the historical context of the speech, including the Civil War's origins in slavery and the impact of the Battle of Gettysburg on public opinion. The panel explores Lincoln's motivations for delivering the address, its religious and philosophical underpinnings, and its enduring significance in American political culture. They analyze the speech's key phrases, such as "four score and seven years ago" and "government of the people, by the people, for the people," and debate its immediate and long-term impact on the Union cause and the evolving understanding of American ideals. The discussion also touches on the complexities of emancipation, Lincoln's evolving views on slavery, and the speech's resonance with the Civil Rights Movement and contemporary American society.