abraham lincoln speeches and letters

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Abraham Lincoln’s Most Enduring Speeches and Quotes

By: Aaron Randle

Updated: February 7, 2024 | Original: January 26, 2022

There’s perhaps no better way to grasp Abraham Lincoln ’s outsized American legacy than through his writing.

From his time as a 20-something political hopeful to his tragic death, Lincoln was a voluminous writer, authoring hundreds of letters, speeches, debate arguments and more.

Despite very little formal schooling, the 16th president was an avid reader who from a young age understood the transformative power of words. “Words were Lincoln’s way up and out of the grinding poverty into which he had been born,” wrote historian and author Geoffrey Ward. “If the special genius of America was that it provided an environment in which ‘every man can make himself,’ as Lincoln believed, pen and ink were the tools with which he did his self-carpentering.”

While he often expressed himself with humor and folksy wisdom, Lincoln wasn’t afraid to wade into lofty territory. His writings show how his thoughts on the thorny issues of the day—like slavery, religion and national discord—evolved over time. He penned some of America’s most monumental expressions of statecraft, such as the Gettysburg Address , widely hailed for its eloquence and clarity of thought. His prose, infused with his deep love of poetry, helped him in his efforts to reach—and heal—a fractured nation.

Here are a few excerpts of Lincoln’s writings, both famous and lesser-known.

On the Fractured Nation

The  ‘House Divided’ Speech:  As America expanded West and fought bitterly over whether new territories could extend the practice of slavery, Lincoln spoke out about what he saw as a growing threat to the Union. Many criticized this speech  as radical, believing—mistakenly—that Lincoln was advocating for war.

The 'Better Angels of Our Nature' speech:  By the time Lincoln was first sworn into office , seven states had already seceded from the Union. During his first address as president, he tried to assure the South that slavery would not be interfered with, and to quiet the drumbeat of war by appealing to “the better angels of our nature.”

The Gettysburg Address: Hailed as one of the most important speeches in U.S. history, Lincoln delivered his brief, 272-word address at the dedication of the Gettysburg battlefield , the site of more than 50,000 casualties. By alluding to the Declaration of Independence , he redefined the war as a struggle not just to preserve the Union, but for the fundamental principle of human freedom.

On Religion

During his younger years, the future President remained notoriously noncommittal on the topic of religion—so much so that even his close friends were unable to verify his personal faith. At times, wrote Lincoln scholar Allen Guelzo, “He would actually be aggressive on the subject of unbelief,” asserting that the Bible was just a book or that Jesus was an illegitimate child.

This lack of clarity on his beliefs—Was he an atheist? A skeptic?—proved a political liability early on. After failing to win election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1843, a worried Lincoln expressed fears that his lack of religiosity might have been to blame:

Lincoln won that House seat three years later, but not without his opponent, a revivalist preacher, accusing him of being a religious scoffer. Instead of dismissing the allegation, as he might have before, the future President wrote a public message directly to his constituency to deny any disrepect, while still avoiding pinning himself down to one personal faith:

By his first inauguration, Lincoln had evolved to making full-throated avowals of faith, even declaring that adherence to Christianity was critical to the Union's survival.

On Racial Inequality

It might seem that the author of the Emancipation Proclamation , the president hailed as “the Great Liberator,” would have clear and consistent views on racial justice and equality. Not exactly.

From the onset, Lincoln always opposed the idea and existence of slavery . As early as 1837, when addressing Congress as a newly-elected member of the Illinois General Assembly, the 28-year-old Lincoln proclaimed the institution to be “founded on both injustice and bad policy.”

Nearly two decades later, he continued to reject it on moral and political grounds:

Nonetheless, despite his deep opposition to slavery, Lincoln did not believe in racial equality. He made this point clear during his famed debates against rival Stephen A. Douglas during their race for the U.S. Senate seat from Illinois:

Lincoln struggled to articulate a vision for how free Black Americans could integrate into white-dominated U.S. society. Under constant political pressure to offset his push for emancipation, Lincoln frequently floated the idea of resettling African Americans elsewhere —to Africa, the Caribbean or Central America. As early as 1854, he articulated this idea:

Lincoln’s views on race equality continued to evolve until his death. In his last public address, just four days before his assassination, Lincoln seemed to denounce a future in which newly freed Black Americans were barred from a chance at equal access to the American dream.

In that same speech, Lincoln also teased the idea of Black suffrage , particularly maddening one attendee. Listening from the crowd, Confederate sympathizer  John Wilkes Booth heard the assertion and remarked, “That is the last speech he will make.”

Lincoln’s Humor

An essential facet of Lincoln the man—and a huge contributor to his political success—was his witty, folksy humor and his talent for mimicry. An inveterate storyteller, Lincoln skillfully spun up puns, jokes, aphorisms and yarns to offset dicey social and political situations, ingratiate himself with hostile audiences, endear himself with the common man and separate himself from political opponents.

As a lawyer , Lincoln always made a point to speak plainly to the judge and jury, avoiding obscure or high-minded legal jargon. One day in court, another lawyer quoted a legal maxim in Latin, then asked Lincoln to affirm it. His response: “If that’s Latin, you had better call another witness.”

So captivating and engaging was Lincoln’s banter that even his vaunted Senate opponent Stephen A. Douglas begrudgingly acknowledged its effectiveness. Douglas likened it to "a slap across my back. Nothing else—not any of his arguments or any of his replies to my questions—disturbs me. But when he begins to tell a story, I feel that I am to be overmatched."

Humor played a key role, historians say, in Lincoln’s victory over Douglas in their famed 1858 debates. In one instance, he colorfully undercut Douglas’s arguments for the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision as “as thin as the homeopathic soup that was made by boiling the shadow of a pigeon that had starved to death.”

And when hecklers followed a Douglas jibe by calling Lincoln “two-faced,” the future president famously defused the attack with his famed self-deprecating humor:

“If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?” 

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Selected Speeches and Writings by Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Greatest Speeches

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Abraham Lincoln's ability to write and deliver great speeches made him a rising star in national politics and propelled him to the White House.

And during his years in office, classic speeches, especially the Gettysburg Address and Lincoln 's Second Inaugural Address, helped to establish him as one of the greatest American presidents.

Follow the links below to read more about Lincoln's greatest speeches.

Lincoln's Lyceum Address

Addressing a local chapter of the American Lyceum Movement in Springfield, Illinois, a 28-year-old Lincoln delivered a surprisingly ambitious speech on a cold winter night in 1838.

The speech was entitled "The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions," and Lincoln, who had just been elected to local political office, spoke on matters of great national significance. He made allusions to a recent act of mob violence in Illinois, and also addressed the issue of enslavement.

Though Lincoln was talking to a smalltown audience of friends and neighbors, he seemed to have ambitions beyond Springfield and his position as a state representative.

The "House Divided" Speech

When Lincoln was nominated to be the candidate of the Illinois Republican Party for U.S. Senate he delivered a speech at the state convention on June 16, 1858. Reflecting the beliefs of his party at the time, the opposition to the spread of enslavement, he intended to speak of how the nation had pro-slavery states and free states. He wanted to use a phrase that his listeners would find familiar, so he utilized a quote from the Bible: "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

His speech is remembered as an eloquent statement of principles, yet it was criticized at the time. Some friends of Lincoln's thought the Biblical quote was inappropriate. His law partner had even advised him not to use it. But Lincoln trusted his instincts. He lost the election for Senate that year to the powerful incumbent, Stephen Douglas. But his speech that night in 1858 became memorable and may have helped him in his run for the presidency two years later.

Lincoln's Address at Cooper Union

In late February 1860, Abraham Lincoln took a series of trains from Springfield, Illinois to New York City. He had been invited to speak to a gathering of the Republican Party , a fairly new political party that was opposed to the spread of enslavement.

Lincoln had gained some fame while debating Stephen A. Douglas two years earlier in a Senate race in Illinois. But he was essentially unknown in the East. The speech he delivered at Cooper Union on February 27, 1860, would make him an overnight star, elevating him to the level of running for president.

Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

Abraham Lincoln's first inaugural address was delivered under circumstances never seen before or since, as the country was literally coming apart. Following Lincoln's election in November 1860 , pro-slavery states, outraged by his victory, began threatening to secede.

South Carolina left the Union in late December, and other states followed. By the time Lincoln delivered his inaugural address, he was facing the prospect of governing a fractured nation. Lincoln gave an intelligent speech, which was praised in the North and reviled in the South. And within a month the nation was at war.

The Gettysburg Address

In late 1863 President Lincoln was invited to give a brief address at the dedication of a military cemetery on the site of the Battle of Gettysburg , which had been fought the previous July.

Lincoln chose the occasion to make a major statement on the war, emphasizing that it was a just cause. His remarks were always intended to be fairly brief, and in crafting the speech Lincoln created a masterpiece of concise writing.

The entire text of the Gettysburg Address is less than 300 words, but it carried enormous impact, and remains one of the most quoted speeches in human history.

Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

Abraham Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address in March 1865, as the Civil War was reaching its end. With victory within sight, Lincoln was magnanimous, and issued a call for national reconciliation.

Lincoln's second inaugural stands as probably the best inaugural address ever, as well as being one of the best speeches ever delivered in the United States. The final paragraph, a single sentence beginning, "With malice toward none, with charity toward all..." is one of the most passages ever said by Abraham Lincoln.

He did not live to see the America he envisioned after the Civil War. Six weeks after delivering his brilliant speech, he was assassinated at Ford's Theatre.

Other Writings by Abraham Lincoln

Beyond his major speeches, Abraham Lincoln exhibited great facility with the language in other forums.

• The Lincoln-Douglas Debates were held in Illinois throughout the summer of 1858 as Lincoln ran for a U.S. Senate seat held by Stephen A. Douglas . In the series of seven debates each man would speak for up to an hour, so the format would be more like a speech than any debate we would see in modern times. Lincoln got off to a shaky start in the first debate, but eventually found his footing, and became, in the crucible of debating the skillful Douglas, an accomplished public speaker.
• The Emancipation Proclamation was written by Abraham Lincoln and signed into law on January 1, 1863. Lincoln had been waiting for a Union victory he felt would give him political clout to issue a proclamation freeing enslaved people, and turning back a Confederate invasion of the North at Antietam in September 1862 provided the desired circumstances. The Emancipation Proclamation did not actually free many enslaved people, as it only applied to enslaved people in states in rebellion to the United States, and it couldn't be enforced until territory was secured by the Union Army.
• Lincoln's proclamation of a National Day of Thanksgiving would not be considered a major piece of writing, yet it nicely illustrates Lincoln's style of expression. Lincoln was essentially lobbied to issue the proclamation by the editor of a popular magazine for women. And in the document, Lincoln reflects on the hardships of the war and encourages the nation to take a day off for reflection.
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• The Civil War Year By Year
• Background and Significance of the Emancipation Proclamation
• Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address
• American History Timeline (1860 to 1870)
• Abraham Lincoln's 1838 Lyceum Address
• Lincoln's Cooper Union Address
• Abraham Lincoln Printables
• Facts and Myths About the Gettysburg Address

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From his early writings to his most memorable speeches, Abraham Lincoln's manuscripts tell the story of the man behind the mythology.

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Abraham Lincoln: The Purposes Of The Almighty Are Different Than Our Purposes

Autograph Letter Signed

Abraham Lincoln Considers The Promotion Of Austrian-Born Jewish Colonel William Mayer

Autograph Endorsement Signed

Lincoln Appoints Jewish Officer, E.M. Joel, to Serve on General Blair’s Staff

Abraham Lincoln's Prayer To "The Almighty" For Himself And The Nation - A Singular Letter

The Baltimore Plot and Attempted Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln's Jewish Friend from Springfield, Julius Hammerslough, Appeals to Rabbi Leeser to Help Fundraise for a Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Directs His “Loyal and Sensible” Jewish Friend, Abraham Jonas to Review a Case of Disloyalty

Lincoln Family Friend Edward Jonas Recalls Abraham Lincoln and the Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address Transcript & With Malice Toward None Quote in Autograph

Autograph Quotation Signed

Abraham Lincoln on Issachar Zacharie, His Mysterious Jewish Foot Doctor and Personal Spy

Autograph Manuscript Signed

Lincoln Names Himself "The Humblest of All Whose Names Were Before the Convention" to Defeated Rival Cassius Clay

Abraham Lincoln in 1860: "Just Now, The Skies Look Bright. What Clouds May Hereafter Rise, We Know Not."

A Rare Abraham Lincoln Quote from Shakespeare's Othello

Abraham Lincoln Reviews His Won-Lost Record in Electoral Politics Up to 1849

President Abraham Lincoln Appoints Jewish West Pointer Alfred Mordecai Jr. Second Lieutenant

Document Signed

Abraham Lincoln Suggests Suffrage for Some Louisiana Blacks: The "Very Intelligent" and Union Veterans

Abraham Lincoln Swears That He Shall Not Retract or Modify the Emancipation Proclamation

Abraham Lincoln's Check to His Son, Robert Lincoln, to Equip Him For Service Under Grant

Check Signed

Contemporary Copy of Chase's Letter to Abraham Lincoln in Support of General Hunter's Emancipation Order

Letter Signed

Abraham Lincoln Comforts His Campaign Manager After Losing the Senate Race: "And This Too Shall Pass"

Abraham Lincoln Explains Why He Supports Zachary Taylor For President in 1848: Political Pragmatism

Abraham Lincoln, Noting "We Have Not Yet Appointed a Hebrew," Names C.M. Levy an Assistant Quartermaster

Rabbi Sabato Morais Sends His Synagogue's Contribution to the Lincoln Monument

A Fateful Appointment: Abraham Lincoln Makes William T. Sherman a General

Lincoln Would be Glad to See General Milroy but knows "...He Wishes to Ask for What I Have Not to Give"

Autograph Note Signed

Mary Todd Lincoln Issues 1865 Invitation to Presidential Box At Ford's Theatre

Hugh McCulloch Confides That He Would Reluctantly Accept an Appointment as Treasury Secretary

Frederick Douglass Quotes Abraham Lincoln: "With Malice Toward None and With Charity Toward All"

John Wilkes Booth Writes to John Ford to Arrange His Performance in a Play Which Lincoln Was to Attend

Abraham Lincoln's Famous Civil War Condolence Letter to Young Fanny McCullough About Loss and Memory

"I Will Take Care of Myself," Abraham Lincoln Wires Stanton as He Follows the Troops

Rare Abraham Lincoln Letter to His Dear Friend Abraham Jonas - He is "Hobbled" by a Troublesome Nephew

Abraham Lincoln: A December 8 Oath of Allegiance

Autograph Document Signed

Abraham Lincoln Arranges for the Anonymous Publication of His Famous Poem "My Childhood Home I See Again"

President Abraham Lincoln Thanks a Jewish Philadelphian for the Gift of a Suit

Abraham Lincoln Sends His Autograph as a Favor to His Jewish Friend Sigismund Kaufmann

Roderick Cole's 1858 Beardless Photo of Abraham Lincoln--Signed "Yours Truly, A. Lincoln"

Signed Photograph

President-Elect Lincoln Grows His Beard: This Second Photograph, Signed, Depicts the Progress

As Lee Surrenders, Abraham Lincoln Happily Grants a Favor to the Captain of the Riverboat Queen

Abraham Lincoln: He'll Speak Where it will do Good - Not as a Compliment to Himself

John Wilkes Booth Letter, Written Eight Weeks Before Lincoln's Assassination, Mentions Ford's Theatre

Abraham Lincoln Appoints the Arabist Edward Joy Morris as Minister Resident to Turkey

Abraham Lincoln Appoints Henry Ernest Goodman as Surgeon of Civil War Union Volunteer Army

Congressman Lincoln Praises Future Vice President of Confederacy for his Opposition to the Mexican War

In Refusing a Parole, Lincoln Notes That Federal Prisoners Are Being "Frozen and Starved" in Libby Prison

Abraham Lincoln Endorses the Appointment of a Jewish Sutler, Henry Rice

Abraham Lincoln Biographer Ida Tarbell Praises Isaac Markens's "Abraham Lincoln and the Jews"

Abraham Lincoln Queries the Surgeon General of the Army About an Appointment

Three Days Before He is Assassinated, Abraham Lincoln Orders the Discharge of a Sickly Boy from the Army

Abraham Lincoln "Pardons" Misbehaving Boys, Allowing Them to Return to School

Abraham Lincoln Analyzes Stephen Douglas's Position, and Maneuvering, on the Temperance Issue in Illinois

Unused Ticket for Ford's Theatre April 14, 1865 - The Night Lincoln Was Assassinated There

Abraham Lincoln Signed Photo from First Washington Sitting, With John Hay Note of Authentication

On the Last Full Day of His Life, Abraham Lincoln Makes an Important Appointment

"Honest Abe" Lincoln, Annoyed About an Unpaid Bill, Orders It Paid – On the Day He Effectively Declares War

Abraham Lincoln, in a Prelude to the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, Agrees to Follow Douglas to Bloomington

Buchanan Approves Abraham Lincoln’s Ordering Fremont to Rescind His Emancipation Proclamation

The Eyewitness Account of Abraham Lincoln's Assassination by the Physician Who Treated Him at the Scene

Chief Justice William Howard Taft: "The Fame of Lincoln Has Spread to Every Land"

Typed Letter Signed

Chief Justice William Howard Taft Comments on an Abraham Lincoln Address by Emanuel Hertz

Lincoln, Four Days After Son Willie's Death, Tells Sumner Mary Lincoln Needs His Help - "Can You Come?"

Lincoln Interjects Himself Into a Case of Two Jewish Merchants Charged With Selling Goods to Blockaders

Millard Fillmore Asks Lincoln for a Favor; On the Back of the Letter, Lincoln Takes Steps to Oblige Him

Abraham Lincoln's Appointment of Benjamin F. Isherwood, the Creator of the Steam Navy

Abraham Lincoln's Order That Sparked the New York City Draft Riots of 1863

Abraham Lincoln Recommends a Franklin Pierce White House Appointee to General Benjamin Butler

Lawyer Abraham Lincoln Defends Farmer in Dispute Over Hogs

Abraham Lincoln Reacts to Attempted Jail-Break of Confederate POWs on Johnson Island

Abraham Lincoln's Inscription on a Photograph to Lucy Speed, Who Had Gifted Him a Bible

Abraham Lincoln Appoints Edward Joy Morris Minister to the Ottoman Empire - and by Extension, Palestine

Hannibal Hamlin Calls for Making Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday a National Day of Observance

Oliver Wendell Holmes: At Fort Stevens, Abraham Lincoln Was Forced to Duck From Enemy Fire

Robert Todd Lincoln is Gratified That His Father's Name is Still Current and His Memory Respected

Robert Lincoln Witnesses Assassinations of Three Presidents

Carl Sandburg: Walt Whitman "Strolls In and Out of the Pages Regularly" of His Lincoln Biography

Manuscript of Vachel Lindsay's "Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight" - With Early Letter

Typed Manuscript Signed

Abraham Lincoln's Family Physician, Robert K. Stone, Signed 1842 Book About a Miraculous Cure

Signed Book

Pass to President Abraham Lincoln's Funeral in the East Room of the Executive Mansion

A Union Officer in the Field Describes the Reaction to News of Abraham Lincoln's Assassination

Abraham Lincoln's Celebrated "Wanting to Work" Letter

Lincoln Asks General Grant as a Friend, for a Favor: Find a Place for His Son, Robert, on His Staff

Both Parties Deprecated War: Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address Quote, In Autograph

Abraham Lincoln: "The Government is About to Fall Into Our Hands"

Abraham Lincoln's Scarce Reference to Deaths of Mother and Sister, With Accompanying Poem About Memory

Lincoln is "Not in a Sentimental Mood" Having Heard Reports of the Bloody Battle of the Wilderness

Lincoln Card: "Submitted to the Sec. of War"

Benjamin Cardozo Expresses His "Sure Interest" In Essays Written About Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln Carte-de-Visite Photo By Mathew Brady of Which Lincoln Said "I Look Most Like That One"

Carte de Visite

Abraham Lincoln Declares He is Not a "Man of Great Learning, or a Very Extraordinary one in Any Respect"

Abraham Lincoln Signed Photo: The "Solitary Pine Pose," From the January 8, 1864 Sitting

Gideon Welles is Summoned to Abraham Lincoln's Last, and Prophetic, Cabinet Meeting

Autograph Document

Abraham Lincoln Exercises Clemency: "Let This Boy Be Discharged"

Abraham Lincoln’s Final Hours, Death, and Autopsy Report Documented by Dr. Robert Stone

Autograph Manuscript

Abraham Lincoln Corrects His Presidential Salary Payment, Which Credits Him With Days Not Worked

Lincoln's Second Testimonial for Issachar Zacharie, His Mysterious Jewish Chiropodist - And Personal Spy

Autograph Testimonial Signed

Mary Surratt's Daughter Petitions Andrew Johnson for the Return of Her Mother's Remains

Lincoln Requests a "Map or Two" For His Youngest Son, Tad

1856 Poll Book Certifying Abraham Jonas, Lincoln's Intimate Jewish Friend, an Elector

A Leaf from Abraham Lincoln's Earliest Handwritten Manuscript, His Homemade Student "Sum-Book"

Writing to Gideon Welles, Abraham Lincoln Attends to a Request From Jewish Congressman Leonard Myers

Republican Nominee Abraham Lincoln Mentions His Childhood Friends of Spencer County to Former Employer William Jones

Abraham Lincoln's Inaugural Ball , 1861: Invitation Printed By, and Naming as a Ball Manager, Adolphus S. Solomons

Lincoln Assassination Eyewitness Recalls Running to Fetch Dr. Liebermann Who Attended Lincoln's Deathbed

The Day He Dies, Lincoln Writes a Pass to Richmond for Wife of the Doctor Who Would Attend His Death-Bed

"Union is Dissolved!" - South Carolina Secession Ordinance Poster

Lincoln-Douglas Debates Book Inscribed By Abraham Lincoln in Ink to His Old Law Partner Logan: A Rarity

Harper's Weekly With Illustrated Story About Five Union Soldiers, Including a Jew, Executed for Desertion

Rare Signed Copy of Lincoln's Jewish Chiropodist and Spy, Dr. Issachar Zacharie's Book

Signed Book Inscribed

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• Lincoln; passages from his speeches and letters,
• Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
• Gilder, Richard Watson, 1844-1909.
• Alfred Whital Stern Collection of Lincolniana (Library of Congress)

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• New York, The Century Co., 1901.
• -  Also available in digital form.
• -  LAC aaa 2019-05-22 update (1 card)
• 204 p. incl. front. (port.)

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• E457.92 1901

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• online text

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• https://lccn.loc.gov/01024444

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• Gilder, Richard Watson
• Lincoln, Abraham

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Credit Line: Library of Congress

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Chicago citation style:

Lincoln, Abraham, Richard Watson Gilder, and Alfred Whital Stern Collection Of Lincolniana. Lincoln; Passages from His Speeches and Letters . New York, The Century Co, 1901. Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/01024444/.

APA citation style:

Lincoln, A., Gilder, R. W. & Alfred Whital Stern Collection Of Lincolniana. (1901) Lincoln; Passages from His Speeches and Letters . New York, The Century Co. [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/01024444/.

MLA citation style:

Lincoln, Abraham, Richard Watson Gilder, and Alfred Whital Stern Collection Of Lincolniana. Lincoln; Passages from His Speeches and Letters . New York, The Century Co, 1901. Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/01024444/>.

• Literature & Fiction
• Essays & Correspondence

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Speeches and Letters of Abraham Lincoln, 1832-1865 Kindle Edition

• Print length 227 pages
• Language English
• Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
• Publication date March 30, 2011
• File size 376 KB
• Page Flip Enabled
• Word Wise Enabled
• Enhanced typesetting Enabled
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Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004UJV3VC
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 30, 2011
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 376 KB
• Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 227 pages
• #7,927 in Nonfiction (Kindle Store)

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News Release

Gettysburg national military park winter lecture series 2024.

Contact: Jason Martz

GETTYSBURG, PA - Featuring some of the best rangers, historians, and authors from across the country, the nine-week Winter Lecture Series returns to the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center for 2024! The Winter Lecture Series is held at 1:30 pm on weekends in the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center from January 6 through March 3, 2024, unless otherwise noted. Seating is available on a first come – first serve basis. Free tickets will be available the day of the program at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center. Schedule is subject to change. All programs will be recorded by our friends at Addressing Gettysburg and will be posted to their YouTube Channel at  youtube.com/@addressinggettysburg . No live stream will be available. Saturday January 6   – “All This is Monument Enough” - Sickles and the New York Monument Commission (NYMC) Ranger Matthew Atkinson, Gettysburg National Military Park Daniel E. Sickles - General, Politician, Defendant, Ambassador, War Hero, and Commissioner of the NYMC. This program will explore the life of Dan Sickles in the post-war years, his struggle to maintain his reputation as the hero of Gettysburg, and his efforts to create and memorialize a battlefield.   Sunday January 7  –   If These Things Could Talk: The Naval Edition Ranger Karlton Smith, Gettysburg National Military Park Ranger Karlton Smith will highlight some of the outstanding objects from the park's collection, with a focus on naval artifacts and the stories behind them. Saturday January 13  – The Heavens Meet Earth at Gettysburg: Design of Sacred Spaces Ranger Troy Harman, Gettysburg National Military Park Join Ranger Troy Harman and examine how Gettysburg battlefield monuments and their landscaped spaces formed a sacred bridge between the battlefield and otherworldly places.   Sunday January 14  –  If These Things Could Talk – Treasures from the Collection of Gettysburg National Military Park Ranger Tom Holbrook, Gettysburg National Military Park Take a journey back in time and explore the fascinating stories behind selected artifacts from the museum collection of Gettysburg National Military Park. Saturday January 20  – The Great Crusade at 80: Eisenhower, Gettysburg, and the Legacy of D-Day Ranger Daniel Vermilya,  Eisenhower National Historic Site Eighty years after Dwight D. Eisenhower’s “great crusade” in Europe, what is the enduring legacy of D-Day? For Eisenhower, the meaning of D-Day was indelibly linked with Gettysburg, a place where he spent much of his life. Eisenhower saw these two iconic battles as sharing similar lessons and legacies. From battlefield visits to reunions and even televised specials, Ike spent his post-WWII years reflecting on these lessons and legacies. Explore how Dwight Eisenhower—a general and a president—actively shaped and remembered the lessons of Gettysburg and D-Day.  Sunday January 21  - Wolverines at Gettysburg: Michigan Soldiers in the Battle of Gettysburg Wayne Motts,  Gettysburg Foundation Did you know that nearly 4,000 Union soldiers from the state of Michigan fought at Gettysburg? Over 1,100 of these men were killed, wounded, or captured fighting on Pennsylvania soil in the Civil War’s greatest battle. Join historian and author Wayne Motts of the Gettysburg Foundation as he explores the stories and contributions of Michigan men at Gettysburg. Saturday January 27  – Major General George Sykes: The Life and Service of Gettysburg's Least Known and Most Elusive Corps Commander Ranger John Hoptak, Gettysburg National Military Park Ranger and historian John Hoptak will profile the life and military record of Major General George Sykes, commander of the Fifth Army Corps at Gettysburg. Despite Sykes’ contributions at Gettysburg, he remains a relatively obscure general officer. This program will illuminate his service on and off the battlefields of the American Civil War. Sunday January 28   - “If I ever get back to you I will live a different life;” The life and letters of the Iron Brigade’s John Pardington and his wife Sara Dr. Peter Carmichael,  Civil War Institute Gettysburg College Join Dr. Peter Carmichael, the Fluhrer Professor of History and the Director of the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College, for this fascinating examination of the correspondence between John Pardington, an enlisted man in the 24 th  Michigan Volunteer Infantry, and his wife. In this revealing correspondence, the experience of the common soldier on the front lines comes to life and reveals the important connections between the battlefield and the home front. Saturday February 3  – "A Brilliant Victory": The Fight to Preserve the First Significant US Victory of the Civil War Ranger Andrew Miller,  Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument Declaring armed neutrality to avoid allegiance to either side at the beginning of the Civil War, the Commonwealth of Kentucky was ironically teetering towards civil war itself. Pro-Confederate state troops began training while US-backed home guard units organized to oppose them. After Confederate forces invaded the state and voided that neutrality, both US and Confederate forces began to maneuver for controlling this vital border state. On January 19, 1862, US troops encamped around Logan's Crossroads (present day Nancy, Kentucky) were surprised by a large Confederate force that was intent on their destruction. A combination of the misunderstanding of the disposition of the US forces in the area, miserable winter weather, and the emergence of George H. Thomas as a successful battlefield leader led to the rout of the Confederate forces out of eastern Kentucky. Speaking for President Abraham Lincoln, the new Secretary of War Edwin Stanton wired a message stating that the Battle of Mill Springs as "a brilliant victory." This first significant US triumph, in tandem with the victories at Forts Henry and Donelson, enabled the large scale forward movement of US military power deep into Tennessee, pushing the Confederacy on its heels at the beginning of 1862. In 1992, the Mill Springs Battlefield Association began a large-scale effort to preserve these historic, hallowed grounds before the National Park Service took over management in 2019 as the 421st national park site. Saturday February 3  – Special Walking Tour: African American Servicemembers Buried in Gettysburg National Cemetery This special program will begin at 3:30 pm at the Taneytown Road Entrance of the Gettysburg National Cemetery . Please dress appropriately for winter weather. In the event of inclement weather, this program may be postponed.  In all of America’s past conflicts, African Americans have served bravely and faithfully in the uniform of the United States despite being historically denied the most basic rights of citizenship from the very nation they served and fought—and in many cases died—to defend. In commemoration and observance of Black History Month, rangers from Eisenhower National Historic Site and Gettysburg National Military Park will lead a special walking tour/program in the Gettysburg National Cemetery highlighting the lesser-known and lesser-told stories of African American servicemembers therein laid to rest. Visit the graves and learn the stories of African Americans who served in the Civil War and who gave their last full measure of devotion during the Spanish-American War, World I, World War II, and Vietnam.  Sunday February 4  – Presidents and Gettysburg Richard Goedkoop, Historian & Licensed Battlefield Guide, Gettysburg National Military Park This program will highlight and illustrate Presidential speeches, visits, and letters at Gettysburg and on the battlefield after Abraham Lincoln's seminal address. Twenty-six Presidents have come to Gettysburg to comment or to reflect on its lasting legacy in American history. All took a memory with them and left their portion of history behind. Saturday February 10  – Biology on the Battlefield: Natural Resource Management at a Historic and Cultural Park Chris Davis, Biologist, Gettysburg National Military Park Visitors come to Gettysburg National Military Park to experience the rich American history and cultural significance of one of the most important battlefields of the American Civil War. Part of the Gettysburg experience includes witnessing the diverse and ecologically complex mosaic of natural and agricultural systems that compose the backdrop of the park landscape - ecosystems that are actively managed by National Park Service staff and volunteers. Join park biologist Chris Davis for an overview of natural resources management at the park, and a discussion of the unique challenges and opportunities of performing this type of work in the context of a historic and cultural park. Sunday February 11  – No Lecture (Superbowl Sunday) Saturday February 17  – Abraham Lincoln in the Archives: “New” Sources, New Questions Michelle Krowl,  Library of Congress In 1936, historian James G. Randall posed the question, “Has the Lincoln theme been exhausted?” Scholarship over the subsequent fourscore and seven years have answered the question with a resounding “no,” and interest in Abraham Lincoln continues to be robust. Michelle A. Krowl, curator of the Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress, will discuss how newly available primary source materials and the proliferation of digital tools now allow different questions to be asked, and answered about the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln, and the world in which he lived. *Please note: This lecture has been postponed due to inclement weather. Saturday February 24  –  Harriet Tubman: In Her Own Words Living Historian and Performer Janice Curtis Greene, Co-sponsored by Lincoln Cemetery Janice Curtis Greene will mesmerize audiences with her portrayal of the life of Harriet Tubman historical program highlighting Harriet Tubman's journey to freedom. Learn of the tragedies and triumphs of this American hero from childhood through old age. Janice has received the Harriet Ross Tubman Lifetime Achievement Award, performed several times at the Harriet Tubman Visitor Center in Cambridge, MD and traveled nationwide with her fascinating portrayal of this famous Maryland hero. Sunday February 25  – “I Dread the Thought of the Place” – A Conversation on the Craft of History with D. Scott Hartwig Join historian and author D. Scott Hartwig for a wide ranging conversation on writing, the craft of history, and his new book, “I Dread the Thought of the Place” – The Battle of Antietam and the End of the Maryland Campaign. A book signing will follow the lecture. Saturday March 3  – Camp Letterman: Life and Death at Gettysburg’s Largest Field Hospital Ranger Christopher Gwinn, Gettysburg National Military Park Between July 20 and November 19, 1863, over twenty thousand wounded Union and Confederate soldiers were treated at Gettysburg’s Camp Letterman, the largest field hospital established following the Battle of Gettysburg. Discover what life was like for the patients and medical staff, who suffered, toiled, and sacrificed at this now vanished location.  Sunday March 4  –   Inclement Weather Date if Needed  

Gettysburg National Military Park preserves, protects, and interprets for this and future generations the resources associated with the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, during the American Civil War, the Soldiers' National Cemetery, and their commemorations. Learn more at  www.nps.gov/gett .  Eisenhower National Historic Site preserves and interprets the home and farms of the Eisenhower family as a fitting and enduring memorial to the life, work, and times of General Dwight David Eisenhower, 34th president of the United States, and to the events of far-reaching importance that occurred on the property. Learn more at  www.nps.gov/eise .   

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About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 425 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at  www.nps.gov , and on  Facebook ,  Instagram ,  Twitter , and  YouTube .

Last updated: February 16, 2024

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