Good news for students and teachers taking a trip to the nation’s capital this summer: the Library of Congress has just extended its “Civil War in America” exhibition from June 1, its original closing date, to January 4, 2014. The Library has also decided to display the John Hay copy of the Gettysburg Address for six weeks as part of the exhibit; it will be on display from March 22 to May 4. The “Civil War in America” exhibition is located in the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building and is free and open to the public from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Saturday.
The Library of Congress has more:
The Gettysburg Address, which Abraham Lincoln delivered at the dedication of a national cemetery at the Gettysburg battlefield on Nov. 19, 1863, is recognized as a literary masterpiece. In three short paragraphs—some 270 words—Lincoln proclaimed the principles upon which the nation was founded, honored the men who had given “the last full measure of devotion” in its defense, and challenged all citizens to a renewed commitment to freedom and democracy.
The John Hay copy of the address, on display in the Civil War exhibition from Friday, March 22 through Saturday, May 4, is one of five known manuscript drafts. The Hay copy is considered the second draft, made by Lincoln shortly after his return to Washington from Gettysburg. Lincoln gave the copy to Hay, one of his two secretaries. His other secretary was John Nicolay, and the presumed first draft is known as the Nicolay copy. Hay’s descendants donated both the Hay and the Nicolay copies to the Library of Congress in 1916.
The other surviving drafts, the so-called Everett, Bancroft and Bliss copies, were made for charitable purposes the spring of 1864. These copies are now held by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the Cornell University Library and the White House, respectively.
The Library of Congress opened the “The Civil War in America” on Nov. 12, 2012, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. It features more than 200 unique items that reveal the complexity of the Civil War through those who experienced it firsthand. Through diaries, letters, maps, song sheets, newspapers and broadsides, photographs, drawings and unusual artifacts, the exhibition chronicles the sacrifices and accomplishments of those—from both the North and South—whose lives were lost or affected by the events of 1861-1865.
The exhibition, originally scheduled to close on June 1, 2013, will be extended through Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014. In June, more than 200 new artifacts will go on display in the exhibition, replacing existing items and providing the public with the opportunity to view additional materials from the Library’s unparalleled Civil War collections.
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Distinguished scholar-teachers Amy and Leon Kass demonstrate how short stories, speeches, and songs can be used to enhance civic education and how a pedagogical approach that stresses learning through inquiry can make primary sources come alive for students of all ages.
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