Abraham Lincoln Gettysburg Address Historical Marker

For the past 5 years we've been documenting some of the historical markers that we find when we travel. Millions of people pass by historical markers every day and never stop to read them. They're a wonderful source of information about some of our forgotten historic past.

On a weekend trip down to Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, we located several historical markers. The one that we're featuring and documenting today is the famous Abraham Lincoln Gettysburg Address historical marker that's located right outside the fence line of Soldiers' National Cemetery. It marks the famous Gettysburg Address that President Abraham Lincoln gave...just a few yards away.

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

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.

If you're looking for the exact spot of where Abraham Lincoln gave the infamous Gettysburg Address, you'll find that spot in Soldiers' National Cemetery. The spot is marked by an information plaque provided by Gettysburg National Military Park. That plaque gives you a lot of information about it and marks the approximate spot where it was given.

Nearby the spot you'll find the Soldiers' National Monument. They started construction on the monument back in 1865 and then held the official dedication of the monument with a ceremony that was held on July 1st, 1869. The monument is pretty tall and on each of the four corners you'll find four marble statues representing: history, plenty, peace and war. The statue "Genius of Liberty" crowns the monument's shaft. It's one of the tallest monuments in the cemetery and is pretty close to were President Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address.

At the Gettysburg Military Park Museum we took a photograph of one of their exhibits that gives the wordage of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address (shown above). Here's what it says.

"Four Score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal...

We here highly resolved that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address, November 19th, 1863.

We felt it was important to document the historical marker, the spot the Gettysburg Address was given and the important speech that went along with it. By doing so, it puts it all into context for our readers.

Here's an additional "fun fact" for you. Gettysburg was named for James Gettys, one of the first settlers. The town was founded in 1780. 

As your driving around the great state of Pennsylvania...take a look around you. If you see any historical markers sitting along the road, in front of a building, etc. Take a few minutes out of your day to stop and read it. (We like to photograph them). Once at home...take a few more minutes to look up information online to learn more about it.