|
 "The Gettysburg Address made clear what was at stake in the Civil
War -- 'a new birth of freedom,'" Quinn said. "Every American should
understand the power of that speech. Luckily, we here in Illinois
have one of the few handwritten copies of the Gettysburg Address,
housed in the nation's top institution devoted to Abraham Lincoln's
legacy."
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will present
that copy of the address in a special evening display Nov. 18. An
honor guard will watch over the manuscript as visitors file past to
see it in person before the fragile document returns to the
library's vault for an extended period. Visitors will also be able
to visit a special exhibit of Gettysburg artifacts and enjoy
dramatic readings from the acclaimed book "Team of Rivals."
Then at midnight, when the speech's actual anniversary arrives,
"Abraham Lincoln," in the form of historic interpreter Fritz Klein,
will emerge to deliver the Gettysburg Address.
"Few speeches in all of history can match the eloquence and
influence of the Gettysburg Address," said Amy Martin, director of
the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. "The 150th anniversary is
a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Illinoisans to celebrate the
speech and the continuing success of government 'of the people, by
the people, for the people.'"
The anniversary events continue through the rest of Nov. 19, with
Klein delivering the address again at 1 p.m. -- approximately the
same time Lincoln delivered the speech in 1863. Historian James
Cornelius will also host two screenings of a short film about the
address and then take questions from the audience.
Historians will gather on Nov. 20 for a round-table event to
discuss the speech's significance, followed by a dramatic
presentation about other important speeches that have built on the
legacy of the Gettysburg Address.
Events for schoolchildren include a series of games before the
anniversary week and then, when the anniversary arrives, workshops
explaining the impact of the Gettysburg Address on people from
different walks of life. A live webcast about the address will also
be available to schools nationwide.
The ALPLM's Papers of Abraham Lincoln project is producing a
booklet exploring the issues Lincoln wrestled with between the
Battle of Gettysburg and his speech. "On Lincoln's Mind" will
reproduce documents to and from Lincoln, with commentary on their
significance. The booklet will be given away throughout the week of
Nov. 18-24.
Several of the state's historic sites with Lincoln connections
will host special events and activities leading up to the Gettysburg
Address 150th anniversary. For more information, visit
GettysburgAddress150.com.
___
Gettysburg Address 150th anniversary schedule of events
Building anticipation: mid-October to Nov. 17
Starting in October, the Lincoln Presidential Museum will have
video monitors running with recordings of average citizens
delivering the Gettysburg Address. Some may run at full length,
while others will be montages of multiple people delivering the
speech. The videos will also be available online.
The museum will also display essays from the "272 Words" project.
The library's foundation has been contacting prominent figures and
asking them to write 272-word essays (the same number of words as in
the Gettysburg Address) about something important to them. Essays
from ex-presidents will also be on display in the Treasures Gallery.
Nov. 5-7, the museum will host a competition in which groups from
different schools race to reassemble the words of the Gettysburg
Address. The puzzle, when completed, will be 18 feet by 30 feet, and
the students will compete in the center of the museum.
Throughout the week of Nov. 10-16, the Old State Capitol lawn
will have a display of flags representing soldiers killed at
Gettysburg. Visitors can tie ribbons to the flags to honor modern
service members, living and dead. On Nov. 16, the Old State Capitol
will be the site of a "Remembrance Day" ceremony.
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 On Nov. 16, the Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site will
celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address and
Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation. The address will be recited at
2 p.m., followed by a performance by the 33rd Illinois Civil War
Band.
Evening vigil: Nov. 18
The Lincoln Presidential Museum owns one of just five copies of
the Gettysburg Address written in Lincoln's own hand, and it will be
shown off the night before the anniversary. The address will be on
special display in the center of the museum, flanked by an honor
guard in Civil War military garb. Visitors will be able to view the
document up-close before it returns to the ALPLM vault for an
extended rest.
The evening will also offer music from a string quartet, live
readings from the acclaimed "Team of Rivals" and a special exhibit
of Gettysburg artifacts.
When the actual anniversary arrives at midnight, a Lincoln
historic interpreter will deliver the Gettysburg Address.
Anniversary day: Nov. 19
The 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address will begin with
Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts raising the flag outside the Lincoln
Presidential Museum. The education staff will conduct workshops to
help children explore the significance of the address through the
eyes of different people during the Civil War.
Lincoln historian James Cornelius will host two showings of the
short film "The Perfect Tribute" and take questions from the
audience afterward. A historic interpreter will deliver the
Gettysburg Address during the afternoon, and other costumed
interpreters will mingle with visitors throughout the day.
At the Old State Capitol, students from Springfield's Japanese
sister city, Ashikaga, will deliver the address.
The day will end with a flag-lowering ceremony by Civil War
military re-enactors.
Round table of experts: Nov. 20
A round table of experts will gather at the museum to discuss the
address and its legacy. This will be followed by a dramatic
presentation on other important speeches that have built on
Lincoln's address. During the day, there will be other educational
workshops.
 Learning opportunity: Nov. 21-22
Outreach to children continues with additional workshops on
Thursday and a special webcast on Friday. The webcast, available to
schools around the country, features historian James Cornelius and
an English professor explaining the speech's significance.
The Gettysburg story: Nov. 23-24
Filmmaker Jake Boritt has just finished a documentary about the
Battle of Gettysburg and the battlefield where Lincoln delivered his
address. Boritt will screen the movie and take questions, first on
Saturday for members of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Foundation and then Sunday for the general public.
Extras: Nov. 18-24
The ALPLM's Papers of Abraham Lincoln project is producing a
booklet exploring the issues Lincoln wrestled with between the
Battle of Gettysburg and his speech. "On Lincoln's Mind" reproduces
documents to and from Lincoln, with commentary on their
significance. The booklet will be given away throughout the week.
The ALPLM also is producing a child-friendly poster about the
address. It features the text of the address along with drawings of
Lincoln, soldiers and a monument at the battlefield.
The museum gift shop will be selling an array of merchandise
related to the anniversary, including graphic novels. It is also
hosting historian Michael Burlingame and photographer Robert Shaw on
Nov. 19. They'll sign their book "Lincoln Traveled This Way."
[Text from
Illinois
governor's office news release
received from the
Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency] |
