Dedication Day – Anniversary of the Gettysburg Address

November 19, the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address and the Dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery, was formally designated as Dedication Day, by a joint resolution of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, on November 19, 1946. Each year since 1938, the Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania has commemorated Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and rededicated Soldiers’ National Cemetery where Lincoln spoke on this date. In the intervening years, this annual event has grown and is now co-sponsored by Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg Foundation, and Gettysburg College. It is presented outdoors on the historic rostrum located in the cemetery. Over the years, many influential and noteworthy national figures including: Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Tom Ridge, John Hope Franklin, Shelby Foote, Carl Sandburg, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Stephan Lang, Sandra Day O’Connor, Ken Burns, Stephen Spielberg and others have spoken at the ceremony to help all of us remember Lincoln’s words and to rededicate ourselves to the ideals Lincoln conveyed there in 1863. Michael Beschloss will be the featured speaker at the 2019 Dedication Day ceremony. Mr. Beschloss is an award-winning presidential historian, scholar of leadership and bestselling author of ten books, including most recently, the acclaimed New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, President of War.

At 10:15am, the day’s events will begin with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Soldiers’ National Monument, followed by the Dedication Day Program at the rostrum in the Soldiers’ National Cemetery at 10:30am Lincoln portrayer George Buss will recite the Gettysburg Address and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service will hold a naturalization ceremony for citizen candidates.

This event is free and open to the general public. A limited number of seats will be available to the general public, so feel free to bring lawn chairs. Parking for the event is provided at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center in Lot #3 with free shuttle service on the Gold Line Shuttle to the Cemetery. The Gold Line will operate from 8am-6:30pm. For more information visit, www.lincolnfellowship.org.

In the event of severe inclement weather, the program will relocate to the Gettysburg College’s Majestic Theater, 25 Carlisle Street, Gettysburg, PA