The Gettysburg Address Quotes
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Source: The Gettysburg Address
Author: Abraham Lincoln
That government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Context
This line was spoken and written by Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address (Nov. 19, 1863).
Abraham Lincoln did not mess around, guys. He didn't mince words, either. (Although, he may have minced vampires.) His Gettysburg Address isn't even 300 words long, yet it still manages to declare that the United States, not the divided states of the Civil War, will not crumble. And if anyone tries to bring it down, Honest Abe will chop their heads off with an axe. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is historically accurate… right?
Where you've heard it
You hear this when any state talks about seceding from the Union (we're looking at you, Texas). Or if a person is doing some Abraham Lincoln cosplay.
Additional Notable References:
- The Guardian wonders if this government is still of, by, and for the people.
Pretentious Factor
If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.
Even though the "shall not perish from the earth" makes the U.S. kind of sound like a vampire, Lincoln is talking about the everlasting strength of its democracy, making this an unpretentious (but very patriotic) quote.