Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Speech ·84 of 348
"Four score and seven years ago."
They never said that.
What people say
"Four score and seven years ago."
What was actually said
"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." Abraham Lincoln — The Gettysburg Address, 19 November 1863
Why it stuck
The opening clause stands alone so often it's become a schoolhouse fragment. The sentence runs another 30 words. Lincoln's math ("four score and seven" = 87 years before 1863 = 1776) is the whole conceit.
Five manuscript copies of the speech survive in Lincoln's hand, each slightly different. The Bliss copy is the version on the Lincoln Memorial.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.