A Promise of Freedom - 150th Anniversary of the Gettysburg Address

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Date: March 15, 2014
Contact: Joanne Gangi-Wellman, (413) 734-8551

SPRINGFIELD, MA. Visit Springfield Armory NHS and be video recorded reciting or reading the Gettysburg Address.Join Presidents Obama, Clinton and Bush and thousands of others in celebrating the anniversary of this powerful speech by President Lincoln. Enjoy Museum tours focused on the Civil War, followed by blank firing demonstrations of Civil War rifles by the Peter Brace Brigade, 54th MA Regiment of African American Living Historians.

Delight in the music of the Springfield Community Music School singers and watch a portion of the new Ken Burns film, "The Address."The afternoon event is scheduled at Springfield Armory NHS and Springfield Technical Community College from 1-5pm on Sunday,

April 6, 2014.Admission is free.

Event schedule:

At Springfield Armory NHS Museum

1-3:30pm

·Civil War Tours led by park rangers, along with a black powder firing demonstration by members of the Peter Brace Brigade Portraying the 54th MA, Company E

·WGBY's "Digital Ambassadors" will be video recording recitations and readings of the Gettysburg Address, which we will post on their web site.

At Scibelli Hall, Springfield Technical Community College

 3:30-4:00:

·The Community Music School of Springfield performs a program of song and readings

4:00-5:00:

·THE ADDRESS preview: remarks about the film and an advance screening of a portion of the documentary.

·The event concludes with a group reading of the Gettysburg Address

Across the country people are giving their voices to a promise of freedom represented in the Gettysburg Address. Bring your voice to the Springfield Armory NHS.

Invited guests include; Ron Brace, Commander of the Peter Brace Brigade portraying the African American 54th MA Regiment, Company E. Director of the Pan African Historical Museum USA, LuJuana Hood and her guests Dr. and Mrs. Garner, will share impressions about the Gettysburg Address and Springfield City Councilor and President of the Springfield Armory Alliance, Melvin Edwards, will read the Gettysburg Address.

Civil War museum tours include exhibits of Civil War rifle Muskets, personalized weapons of soldiers who carved striking messages on their stocks, and an exhibit that reveals the tragedy of Gettysburg.

Ken Burn's film The Address tells the story of the Greenwood School in Putney, Vermont, where academically challenged students ages 11-17 rise to the challenge to memorize and recite the Gettysburg Address.In the words of Ken Burns "In his address President Lincoln said, 'The world will littlenote, nor long remember what we say here,' and yet 150 years later, the students of the Greenwood School are using his momentous words to overcome adversity."

Everyone can watch the debut of the full length film The Address on WGBY on April 15, 2014. Visit WGBY's website, http://wgby.org/theaddress to learn more about the national partnership with Ken Burns and PBS, who have launched a major public outreach campaign to challenge everyone across the country, especially students, to video record themselves reading or reciting the Gettysburg Address.

Springfield Armory National Historic Site commemorates and preserves the site of our Nation's first armory, established in 1794. Managed with the Commonwealth of MA, Springfield Technical Community College and the National Park Service, it is the home of the world's largest historic American military firearms collection. The site is open daily, 9 AM- 5 PM.

Admission is free. For information call 413-734-8551 or check www.nps.gov/spar.

-NPS-



Last updated: February 26, 2015

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

Springfield Armory National Historic Site
One Armory Square
Suite 2

Springfield, MA 01105

Phone:

413 734-8551
The phone is answered during museum operating hours. All other times callers will be prompted to leave a voice message that will be received and responded to during museum operating hours.

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