12/02/15
What Lincoln Knew: Be real. Be brief. Be seated.
Edward Everett: The Forgotten Gettysburg Speaker
Gettysburg, November 19, 1863. The crowd was excited to hear Edward Everett speak. Everett had been governor of Massachusetts, president of Harvard and a congressman. He had a reputation as a fine speaker, politician and historian. He had a command of Greek history that he chose to share that day at Gettysburg. Since the purpose of the day was to honor the dead soldiers of the Civil War, Everett decided to regale the crowd with his knowledge of how the Greeks handled death. Everett dropped the names of his “good friends” Jefferson and Madison. He mentioned George Washington again and again. His two-hour oration contained 13,000 words.
Then there was that awkward, folksy other speaker, Abraham Lincoln. His 270 words are the ones we remember 152 years later. We memorize and quote Lincoln’s Gettysburg address and can’t recall Edward Everett or his pontificating. Lincoln’s remarks hit the crowd at Gettysburg and hit us today right in the gut. His lean content as well as his lean form got to the crowd then and to us every time we hear his Gettysburg address – or even think about it. I remember when I taught second grade, one of my students, Henry, brought a framed copy of Lincoln’s address for show and tell. He proudly read the address to the class. It didn’t take long.
What can we learn from the polished and the awkward speakers at Gettysburg? When you prepare to speak, be ruthless about your words. Cut. Cut. Cut. Remember the reason you’re speaking and consider your audience. Speak from the heart even if you’re giving a technical talk. Be a geek people get. Be real. Audiences today aren’t looking for slick. Apparently, 1863 wasn’t a year for slick speakers and politicians either. Choose your words carefully. Be brief. Be seated.
The Gettysburg Speaker We Quote
Oh. Happy Birthday Abe. February 12th is the day you were born to humble beginnings. When is Everett’s birthday? Everett who?
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