Background

Gettysburg National Military Park is nationally significant as the site of the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, the Soldiers' National Cemetery, and the commemoration and preservation of the battleground. The battle was the largest and most costly in human terms to occur on the North American continent. It lessened the Confederacy's ability to successfully wage war and contributed to the ultimate preservation of the United States. The creation of the Soldiers' National Cemetery, and Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, heightened Americans' sense of the meaning and importance of the war. Inspired by those who experienced the Civil War, the park preserves major features of the 1863 battlefield and commemorates the valor and sacrifice of participants. These elements make Gettysburg a place where Americans continue to remember and honor those whose struggle led to a united nation.

First preserved by local citizens almost immediately following the battle, portions of the Gettysburg battlefield were then protected by the state of Pennsylvania. A federal park was established in 1895 and administered by the War Department, and a three-member commission was appointed by the U.S. Congress. Prior to 1895, only Union accomplishments were commemorated; after federal ownership began, Confederate achievements were commemorated as well. The National Park Service assumed management in 1933. New legislation in 1990 added 1,794 acres to the park's authorized boundary, increasing its total size by one-third, to 5,989 acres. Unlike the original acreage, this new land is under private, not federal, ownership and management. The National Park Service is acquiring interests in the properties comprising the new addition and developing a framework for their management. Park staff are working cooperatively with local communities to protect the historic setting of the park.

The legislated purpose of Gettysburg National Military Park, stated as part of the 1993 Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) process, is, in part:

• to preserve the topographical, natural, and cultural features that were significant to the outcome of the battle;

• to mark the lines of battle and preserve the monuments and markers that commemorate the struggle; and

• to provide opportunities for people to learn about the Battle of Gettysburg in the full social, political, and cultural context of the Civil War and American history.