Today marks 162 years since President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, and in Cambridge, that historic moment was brought back to life at the Meredith House.
Neighbors gathered to listen as David Rose, the town crier, delivered the speech, echoing Lincoln’s iconic words: “…our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
Paul Callahan of the Talbot Historical Society reflected on the continued significance of Lincoln’s legacy.
“Lincoln reverted back to the Declaration of Independence,” Callahan said. “Four score and seven years ago reverts back to the Declaration of Independence.”
David Rose helped make the reenactment a memorable experience.
“Lincoln’s speech became very famous,” Rose told WBOC. “People at first...did not fully appreciate it.”
For George Ames of Westover, the delivery added to the impact.
“The town crier. He has such a booming voice when he does these speeches and it brings back…all men are created equal with certain unalienable rights,” Ames said.
The event aimed to bring history to life, with the Dorchester County Historical Society hoping to remind attendees of Lincoln’s enduring message of equality and the principles of democracy.