Gettysburg Address on Display Through Nov. 22

An original handwritten copy of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is on display at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield through Nov. 22, giving visitors a rare opportunity to see one of the nation’s most famous speeches in Lincoln’s own handwriting.

The museum is the only location in the country where the public can regularly view an original handwritten copy of the historic address. The annual display coincides with the anniversary of Lincoln delivering the speech on Nov. 19, 1863, at the dedication of a military cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

To commemorate the 163rd anniversary, the museum will offer free admission to all visitors on Thursday, Nov. 19.

The museum will also introduce an accessible version of the address for visitors with visual impairments beginning Nov. 17. The display will feature raised lettering that visitors can feel, along with buttons that provide descriptions and additional information about the speech.

Museum historians will host free question-and-answer sessions exploring the history and lasting impact of the Gettysburg Address at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 18, 19 and 20.

“In just a few short minutes, Abraham Lincoln offered the nation a path forward – one dedicated to liberty and equality,” said Christina Shutt, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. “Seeing his carefully crafted words in his own handwriting reminds us that liberty and unity are not abstract ideals. They are responsibilities we inherit and must protect.”

Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address during the Civil War, honoring soldiers who died in the Battle of Gettysburg while emphasizing the importance of preserving the nation. The speech begins with the famous words “Four score and seven years ago” and concludes with Lincoln's vision of government “of the people, by the people, for the people.”

Only five handwritten copies of the Gettysburg Address are known to exist. In addition to the museum's copy, one is housed at the White House, one at Cornell University and two at the Library of Congress. The Springfield museum displays its copy annually around the anniversary of the speech.

Known as the Everett Copy, the document has belonged to the State of Illinois since 1944, when schoolchildren across the state helped raise money to purchase it from private owners.

Visitors can also explore the museum's special exhibit, “The Second American Revolution,” which examines efforts to rebuild the nation following the Civil War and the subsequent rise of Jim Crow laws. The exhibit includes historic artifacts such as the pen Lincoln used to sign the Emancipation Proclamation and a chair from Ford's Theatre, where he was assassinated.

For those unable to visit in person, the museum offers an interactive online presentation exploring the Gettysburg Address, its history and the differences among the surviving versions.

Additional information and educational resources are available at www.PresidentLincoln.Illinois.gov/GettysburgAddress.