Nov 25 2024 25 mins
In Episode 229 of Anecdotally Speaking, explore how Edwards Everett and Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Addresses demonstrate the impact of concise communication.
In Episode 229 of Anecdotally Speaking, Mark shares a compelling story contrasting two speeches delivered at Gettysburg in 1863.
On one hand, Edward Everett spoke for two hours in excruciating detail, while Abraham Lincoln delivered a concise yet iconic Gettysburg Address in just two minutes.
Mark and Shawn discuss the power of brevity, purposeful communication, and how unnecessary detail can detract from a message’s impact.
This episode serves as a reminder that less is often more when it comes to storytelling, both in business and in life.
Find out more about our 2025 events here.
For your story bank
Tags: Storytelling, Communication, Leadership, Attention Span, Contrast
This story starts at 4:02
On July 1, 1863, the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg began. The battle lasted three days and was the most important engagement of the American Civil War. It was a turning point that foiled the Confederacy’s aspirations to establish an independent nation. It was also the bloodiest battle of the war, with 50,000 combined casualties.
Later, the battlefield at Gettysburg was declared a national cemetery. On November 19, 1863, a dedication ceremony was held, with 15,000 people in attendance. The keynote speaker was Edward Everett, a famous orator, statesman, diplomat, and former university president. He had asked for the ceremony to be delayed by over a month so he could prepare his speech. When he finally spoke, he delivered a two-hour oration, describing the events of the three days in excruciating detail.
For example, Everett described how “General Howard was not unprepared for this turn in the fortunes of the day. He had, in the course of the morning, caused Cemetery Hill to be occupied by General Steinwehr and the 2nd Division of the 11th Corps. About the time of the withdrawal of our troops to the hill, General Hancock arrived, having been sent by General Meade on hearing the death of Reynolds to assume the command of the field until he himself could reach the front.”
The speech was dense and verbose, filled with flowery language and difficult to follow. It was tedious to read and apparently even worse to listen to.
In contrast, Abraham Lincoln had been asked just a few days before the event to deliver “a few appropriate remarks” as a footnote to Everett’s speech. Lincoln’s speech, the Gettysburg Address, was just 10 sentences and 272 words long. It took only two minutes to deliver.
Everett later acknowledged that Lincoln had achieved more in two minutes than he had in two hours. Most of Everett’s 58 paragraphs were longer than Lincoln’s entire speech. The Gettysburg Address remains one of the most famous speeches in history.
In Episode 229 of Anecdotally Speaking, Mark shares a compelling story contrasting two speeches delivered at Gettysburg in 1863.
On one hand, Edward Everett spoke for two hours in excruciating detail, while Abraham Lincoln delivered a concise yet iconic Gettysburg Address in just two minutes.
Mark and Shawn discuss the power of brevity, purposeful communication, and how unnecessary detail can detract from a message’s impact.
This episode serves as a reminder that less is often more when it comes to storytelling, both in business and in life.
Find out more about our 2025 events here.
For your story bank
Tags: Storytelling, Communication, Leadership, Attention Span, Contrast
This story starts at 4:02
On July 1, 1863, the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg began. The battle lasted three days and was the most important engagement of the American Civil War. It was a turning point that foiled the Confederacy’s aspirations to establish an independent nation. It was also the bloodiest battle of the war, with 50,000 combined casualties.
Later, the battlefield at Gettysburg was declared a national cemetery. On November 19, 1863, a dedication ceremony was held, with 15,000 people in attendance. The keynote speaker was Edward Everett, a famous orator, statesman, diplomat, and former university president. He had asked for the ceremony to be delayed by over a month so he could prepare his speech. When he finally spoke, he delivered a two-hour oration, describing the events of the three days in excruciating detail.
For example, Everett described how “General Howard was not unprepared for this turn in the fortunes of the day. He had, in the course of the morning, caused Cemetery Hill to be occupied by General Steinwehr and the 2nd Division of the 11th Corps. About the time of the withdrawal of our troops to the hill, General Hancock arrived, having been sent by General Meade on hearing the death of Reynolds to assume the command of the field until he himself could reach the front.”
The speech was dense and verbose, filled with flowery language and difficult to follow. It was tedious to read and apparently even worse to listen to.
In contrast, Abraham Lincoln had been asked just a few days before the event to deliver “a few appropriate remarks” as a footnote to Everett’s speech. Lincoln’s speech, the Gettysburg Address, was just 10 sentences and 272 words long. It took only two minutes to deliver.
Everett later acknowledged that Lincoln had achieved more in two minutes than he had in two hours. Most of Everett’s 58 paragraphs were longer than Lincoln’s entire speech. The Gettysburg Address remains one of the most famous speeches in history.