How Many Years Is Four Score And Seven

How Many Years Is Four Score and Seven? Understanding Lincoln's Famous Phrase

When Abraham Lincoln began his iconic Gettysburg Address with the words "Four score and seven years ago," he was invoking a specific timeframe that carries profound meaning in American history. Practically speaking, the answer to "how many years is four score and seven" is 87 years—but understanding this phrase requires much more than simple arithmetic. This calculation opens the door to one of the most significant speeches in American history and the enduring legacy of the Civil War era.

The Mathematical Breakdown: Understanding "Four Score and Seven"

To fully grasp how many years "four score and seven" represents, we must first understand what a "score" means in numerical terms. A score equals 20 years, a unit of measurement that has been used in English since at least the 15th century. The word itself comes from the Old Norse word "skor," meaning a notch or mark used for counting.

Breaking down the phrase mathematically:

• Four score = 4 × 20 = 80 years
• Plus seven = 7 years
• Total = 80 + 7 = 87 years

This simple calculation forms the foundation of Lincoln's famous opening. On the flip side, the true significance lies not in the arithmetic itself, but in what happened 87 years before November 1863 when Lincoln delivered his speech.

The Historical Context: The Gettysburg Address

On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln traveled to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to dedicate a cemetery for Union soldiers who had died in the Battle of Gettysburg. Worth adding: this battle, fought on July 1-3, 1863, was one of the bloodiest and most key engagements of the American Civil War. Approximately 7,000 soldiers died during those three days of brutal combat.

Lincoln was not the main speaker at the dedication ceremony. Also, that honor went to Edward Everett, a renowned orator who spoke for two hours. Lincoln's address lasted approximately two minutes—yet it became one of the most quoted and influential speeches in world history.

The phrase "four score and seven years ago" refers directly to 1776, the year the United States declared its independence from Great Britain. If we subtract 87 years from 1863, we arrive at 1776, the birth year of the nation as Lincoln understood it.

Why Lincoln Chose This Particular Phrase

Lincoln's choice of "four score and seven years ago" was deliberate and rhetorically powerful. Several factors make this phrasing significant:

The use of "score" gave the opening a sense of gravity and antiquity. In 1863, the word "score" carried more weight than it does today, evoking a biblical or historical tone. The King James Bible uses this term frequently, most famously in Psalm 90:10: "The days of our years are threescore and ten."

The specific number 87 was not arbitrary. Lincoln could have simply said "87 years ago" or "nearly a century ago," but "four score and seven" creates a more memorable rhythm and adds poetic weight to the statement. The phrase rolls off the tongue in a way that pure numbers cannot.

The reference to 1776 connected the Civil War to the founding of the nation. Lincoln was arguing that the Civil War was a test of whether a nation conceived in liberty could endure. The soldiers who died at Gettysburg, he suggested, had given their lives so that the promise of 1776 might be fulfilled.

The Full Significance of Lincoln's Opening

When Lincoln 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," he was doing something profound. He was establishing a direct line between the Declaration of Independence and the Civil War.

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The phrase accomplishes several rhetorical goals:

1. It establishes temporal distance – 87 years is long enough to feel like ancient history but short enough to feel relevant
2. It invokes the founders – "our fathers" connects the present generation to those who established the nation
3. It emphasizes the founding principles – "conceived in Liberty" and "all men are created equal" remind listeners of the nation's ideals
4. It creates dramatic irony – the nation was founded on equality, yet was then fighting a war over whether slavery would continue

Lincoln was essentially arguing that the Civil War was a second founding—a chance to redeem the broken promises of the first.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many years exactly is "four score and seven"?

Four score and seven years equals 87 years. This is calculated as (4 × 20) + 7 = 80 + 7 = 87.

What year does "four score and seven years ago" refer to?

When Lincoln spoke in 1863, "four score and seven years ago" referred to 1776, the year of American independence.

Why did Lincoln use the word "score" instead of saying "87 years"?

Using "score" added poetic weight and historical resonance to the speech. The word had biblical connotations and created a more memorable, rhythmic opening than simply stating a number.

How long is a "score"?

A score equals 20 years. The term has been used in English since medieval times.

Was Lincoln the first to use "four score and seven"?

While Lincoln made the phrase famous, the combination of "score" with specific numbers had been used in English literature and speech before the Gettysburg Address.

The Legacy of Those Famous Words

Lincoln's opening line has become perhaps the most recognized phrase in American history. It appears in textbooks, movies, and speeches, and has been quoted by countless leaders seeking to invoke the spirit of American unity and purpose.

The power of "four score and seven years ago" lies in its ability to compress 87 years of history into a single, memorable phrase. It reminds us that the Civil War was not an isolated event but part of an ongoing American story that began with the founding ideals of liberty and equality.

When we ask "how many years is four score and seven," we are really asking about the connection between past and present, about how history shapes our understanding of current events. Lincoln understood this connection deeply, and his words continue to resonate more than 160 years after they were spoken.

The answer—87 years—represents far more than simple arithmetic. It represents the distance between the promise of American independence and the terrible test of civil war, between what the nation claimed to believe and the reality it struggled to achieve.