News Release

"A New Birth of Freedom": Living Historian Larry Elliott to read the Gettysburg Address at Park

Date: November 11, 2021
Contact: Stacy Humphreys, 270-358-3137

HODGENVILLE - Join park staff from the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace on Friday, November 19th, from 6:30 - 9:00 pm eastern time for a "New Birth of Freedom," a Memorial Building lighting event recognizing the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. This event takes place in conjuction with the "Light Up Hodgenville" event being held the same evening. 

During the event, Larry Elliott, well-known living historian, will depict Abraham LIncoln and read the address providing inspiration and background of the famous 272-word speech. Superintendent Catherine Bragaw will provide introductory remarks to the presentations at 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm eastern time.

Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, as a short dedication speech for the new national cemetery located adjacent to the battlefield. He crystalized in just a few sentences the meaning of the war, and why so many lost their lives. Edward Everett, the main speaker, later said to Lincoln that "I should be glad, if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the centeral idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes."

During the evening event, the park's Memorial Building will be illuminated in white light and Larry Elliott, as Abraham Lincoln, will be available for questions and photo opportunities with visitors. This illumination is part of a multi-event series that takes place throughout the year, which commemorates various aspects of Abraham Lincoln's life that touched our country. The event is free and open to the public. Visitors are encouraged to bring flashlights, sturday walking shoes, and their own chairs. 

For more information on the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park, visit the park's website at: www.nps.gov/abli or the park's Facebook page at: https:www.facebook.com/LincolnBirthplaceNPS.

www.nps.gov

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 423 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.