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 The
presidential library’s copy of the Gettysburg Address will be
exhibited Nov. 17 through Nov. 28. After that, it returns to a
climate-controlled vault for safekeeping.
To give more people the opportunity to appreciate this powerful
document, admission to the museum will be free on Nov. 19, the 160th
anniversary of Lincoln delivering the speech at a military cemetery
in Gettysburg, Pa. And for the full 12 days the address is on
display, visitors also have the option of paying just $5 to see the
document without touring the rest of the museum.
The Gettysburg Address is one of the
most famous speeches ever given. Its stirring prose and historic
impact have been studied by everyone from schoolchildren to
scholars.
“In 272 powerful words, Abraham
Lincoln captured the pain of the Civil War and the truth of what was
at stake: a new birth of freedom,” said Christina Shutt, executive
director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
“This handwritten copy of his address is a national treasure. We
hope offering free admission allows more people to appreciate it in
person.”
The display includes features to
assist people with visual impairments. By scanning QR codes with
their mobile phones, visitors will be able to hear a reading of the
speech and the display label that explains the speech’s significance
or see an easy-to-read text version of the speech.
The ALPLM is also giving visitors a
chance to talk about the speech with Lincoln Historian Christian
McWhirter. At 12:30 on Nov. 20, 21 and 22, McWhirter will discuss
what inspired Lincoln to write it and what message he may have been
trying to send to his divided nation.
Five handwritten copies of the Gettysburg Address still exist. In
addition to the ALPLM’s copy, one is in the White House, one is at
Cornell University and two are at the Library of Congress. Those
institutions rarely exhibit their copies to the general public. The
ALPLM, however, displays its copy each year around the anniversary
of Lincoln delivering the speech.
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For anyone who can’t visit in person, the ALPLM
offers a webpage -
www.PresidentLincoln.Illinois.gov/
gettysburgaddress that provides an up-close look at the
presidential library’s copy of the speech, explaining its history
and how it differs from other copies. It also examines the meaning
and impact of Lincoln’s words. Just click on key words in the speech
and up pop boxes full of helpful information.
The page also includes educational
resources for teachers and parents, a photo gallery and links to
other sources of information about the address.
The State of Illinois has owned this edition of the address, known
as the Everett Copy, since 1944, when the state’s children helped
raise money to buy it from private owners.
Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on Nov. 19, 1863, at the
dedication of a national cemetery for the thousands of Union
soldiers killed at the Battle of Gettysburg. It opens with the
famous phrase “Four score and seven years ago” and finishes by
describing the Civil War as a battle to preserve government “of the
people, by the people, for the people.”
“Most people know a few famous phrases from the Gettysburg Address,
but they haven’t thought much about what the words mean or how they
influenced the nation’s ideals. Seeing the document in person offers
a rare chance to connect personally and reflect on what it asks of
us as individuals and as a country,” said Brian Mitchell, the
ALPLM’s director of research and interpretation.
The mission of the Abraham Lincoln
Presidential Library and Museum is to inspire civic engagement
through the diverse lens of Illinois history and sharing with the
world the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. We pursue this mission
through a combination of rigorous scholarship and high-tech
showmanship built on the bedrock of the ALPLM’s unparalleled
collection of historical materials – some 12 million items from all
eras of Illinois history.
For more information, visit
www.PresidentLincoln.illinois.gov.
[Christopher Wills]
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