Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address begins with the words, “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Lincoln's statement refers first to the year 1776; a score is 20 years so “four score and seven years ago” would be 87 years prior to the dedication. He then speaks of “a new nation, conceived in liberty,” which is a reference to the Articles of the Confederation and the Constitution.

In his speech, Lincoln said that the United States would continue to fight so that the whole world could enjoy freedom and equality. At the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, the text of the Gettysburg Address is carved into one of the walls beside the statue of President Lincoln. Two draft versions are preserved at the Library of Congress and can be viewed online.