Original Gettysburg Address on Display at ALPLM

An original handwritten copy of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is now on display for a limited time at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum as part of its new exhibit Lincoln: A Life and Legacy that Defined a Nation. The Springfield museum remains the only place in America where the public can regularly view Lincoln’s most famous speech written in his own hand.

To give more people the chance to see this national treasure, admission to the museum will be free on Nov. 19, marking the 162nd anniversary of Lincoln’s delivery of the address at the dedication of a military cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Museum historians will host free question-and-answer sessions exploring the history and impact of the Gettysburg Address at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 19, 20, and 21. Visitors can also purchase a $5 exhibit-only ticket to view Lincoln: A Life and Legacy without touring the rest of the museum.

The handwritten address will remain on display through Dec. 1, when it will be replaced by a signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation.

In past years, the museum limited public viewing of the document to about 10 days to protect it from light exposure. This year, thanks to new preservation technology, the Gettysburg Address will stay on view much longer. A state-of-the-art “smart glass” case now allows the display to turn opaque when no one is looking at it, dramatically reducing the amount of light the document receives.

“The new display technology allows us to share this extraordinary piece of history for a longer period while protecting it for future generations,” museum officials said.

“The Gettysburg Address is one of the most famous speeches ever given,” said Christina Shutt, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. “In just a few short minutes, Abraham Lincoln offered the nation a path forward – one dedicated to liberty and equality. 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.”

Visitors can also explore special features connected to the exhibit. The Gettysburg Tactile Table, designed for visitors with visual impairments, will be available Nov. 10–23. The museum’s Readers Theater: Gettysburg program will bring Lincoln’s words to life in the museum plaza on Fridays and Saturdays throughout November at 11 a.m. and noon.

Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on Nov. 19, 1863, at the dedication of a national cemetery for Union soldiers killed in the Battle of Gettysburg. The speech opens with the words “Four score and seven years ago” and concludes with a call to preserve “government of the people, by the people, for the people.”

Only five handwritten copies of the Gettysburg Address are known to exist. The version owned by the State of Illinois, known as the “Everett Copy,” was purchased in 1944 after Illinois schoolchildren raised funds to bring it home during World War II.

“The Gettysburg Address belongs to the people of Illinois because schoolchildren made it possible,” said Dr. Ian Hunt, chief of acquisitions and special projects at the museum. “In the middle of World War II, students across the state collected their pennies to bring Lincoln’s words home. That act of unity and self-sacrifice ensured this national treasure would be preserved for all.”

For those unable to visit in person, the ALPLM offers an interactive, in-depth look at the document and its history on its website at www.PresidentLincoln.Illinois.gov/GettysburgAddress.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is dedicated to inspiring civic engagement and preserving Illinois history through scholarship and storytelling centered on Lincoln’s life and legacy. For more information, visit www.PresidentLincoln.Illinois.gov.