Gettysburg honors the Emancipation Proclamation

Historic Gettysburg, Pa., will honor the history of the Emancipation Proclamation, Sept. 21-23, through events, programs, exhibits and lectures. The event – Emancipation 2012: 150 years Since the New Beginning – is hosted by the Gettysburg Foundation, Gettysburg National Military Park and Gettysburg College.

The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln on Jan. 1, 1863, proclaiming the freedom of slaves in all states that were currently in rebellion against the Union. A preliminary proclamation was made on Sept. 22, 1862 (150 years ago) – offering the Confederacy an opportunity to lay down its arms.

The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center will open a special exhibit, Sept. 21 through Sept. 28, featuring an Abraham Lincoln-signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, a copy of the Thirteenth Amendment signed by Congressmen and Senators, along with two traveling exhibits – “Abraham Lincoln: A Man for All Times” and “Free at Last: A History of the Abolition of Slavery in America.”

Throughout the weekend, Gettysburg College and the Adams County Historical Society will be hosting the Pennsylvania Civil War Road Show, a traveling exhibit housed in an expandable 53-foot tractor trailer. The Road Show travels throughout the state with free interactive exhibits, docents and programs. This event will also include living history, music and other activities.

Additionally, the college will be hosting “Forever Free: An Evening with Dr. James McPherson and Dr. Allen Guelzo” at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 21, at the Majestic Theater. Admission is free, but tickets are required and available at www.gettysburgmajestic.org.

The Gettysburg Foundation and Gettysburg National Military Park and will sponsor a free lecture on Saturday, Sept. 22, at 5 p.m., at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center, titled “Rebelling for the Promise of Revolution: Black Emancipation & the Civil War” by Dr. Scott Hancock, a professor of History and Africana Studies at Gettysburg College. This lecture will propose a different way of thinking about the American Civil War, the kind of American Revolution that African Americans hoped it would create.

That same evening, at 8 p.m., the Majestic Theater will host “Glory” an Academy Award winning movie, starring Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington and Matthew Broderick. The 1989 film captures the bravery, struggles and heroism of the Union Army’s first black company during the Civil War. The evening event will include appearances by “Glory” extras and members of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry re-enactment unit.

For more information, contact the Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau at (800) 337-5015 or email [email protected].