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Thursday, January 12, 2017

Soldier's National Cemetery - Home of the Gettysburg Address

Soldier's National Cemetery - Gettysburg Address
The state of Pennsylvania has played an important part in American history. When people often think about the history associated with this state, they often think about Philadelphia and the surrounding area. However, when it comes to the American Civil War, no area is more important that Gettysburg.

During the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln traveled to Gettysburg to give a speech during the dedication ceremony at Soldier's National Cemetery. On Thursday, November 19th in 1863, President Lincoln gave a brief speech at the dedication, the Gettysburg Address.
Gettysburg Address - Historical Marker

Gettysburg Address Historical Marker

Nearby, Nov. 19, 1863, in dedicating the National Cemetery, Abraham Lincoln gave the address which he had written in Washing and revised after his arrival at Gettysburg the evening of November 18. 

Location: This historical marker is located right along the fence-line leading into Soldier's National Cemetery, near the spot where President Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address.

President Lincoln talked about the importance of having equality for all men, no matter the race. The speech started out with the famous line of "Four score and seven years ago"...and then continued on for a little over 2 minutes in duration. During his speech, Lincoln mentioned the founding principles of the United States (Declaration of Independence) and memorialized the sacrifices of men and women who lost their lives or became injured during the war.
The Gettysburg Address - Historical Marker

Soldier's National Cemetery is a beautiful place to visit. Admission is FREE and you'll find plenty of parking nearby. The cemetery is located in Gettysburg National Military Park and you can go on guided or self-guided tours. We've done both types of tours and if its your first time visiting, we recommend the guided tour.
Soldier's National Cemetery in Gettysburg

I've previously written some extensive travel blog posts on our past visits to Soldier's National Cemetery and you can find them right here on our travel blog in the Pennsylvania section. Today, I wanted to share some specific photographs with you that focus on President Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address and the area in which he gave it.
Soldier's National Cemetery in Gettysburg Pennsylvania

We love visiting Soldier's National Cemetery and it's a very humbling experience when you go. Over the years, they've opened up the cemetery to include the burials of other service men & women from other wars and their families, so it seems like the cemetery is always growing. Every time we visit, we learn something new or notice something that we didn't see before.
Soldier's National Cemetery in Gettysburg Pennsylvania

If you're a Civil War buff or just looking for a really fun place to visit during vacation, we highly recommend that you visit Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. Our favorite times to visit are during late spring, early summer and/or early Fall.

1 comment:

jopb said...

I have never visited Gettysburg, but I know that I would definitely want to see the Soldiers' National Cemetery in the military parkas well as many other sites in that area. Visiting such a historic spot makes the history come alive and is also a humbling experience.