Inside the Vault

Inside the Vault

Inside the Vault is a monthly online program that highlights unique primary sources from the Gilder Lehrman Collection. Curators and scholars discuss historical documents from iconic treasures, such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Emancipation Proclamation, to personal letters that reveal the contributions of ordinary Americans.

 

*Please note that each program is recorded and sent via email the following day to all registered participants.*

 

Image: Abraham Lincoln, Emancipation Proclamation, General Orders No. 1, 1863 (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC00460)

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Detail from Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation with focus on text "By the President of the United States of America. A Proclamation"

Table of Contents:

Upcoming Program

Inside the Vault: The Gettysburg Address

Date: November 6, 2025
Time: 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. PT)
Guest Historian: Professor Jonathan White, Christoper Newport University 
Featured Document: The President’s Dedication Address at Gettysburg, 1863

The Gettysburg Address gave meaning to the Civil War. In under three minutes, Abraham Lincoln described the war as a momentous chapter in the global struggle for self-government, liberty, and equality. He declared that the nation would “have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.” Join us on November 6, 2025, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. PT), when our curators will discuss the Gettysburg Address with Dr. Jonathan White, Professor of American Studies at Christopher Newport University. 

Submit questions for Prof. Jonathan White.

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Lincoln's Dedication Address at Gettysburg

Related Resources for Upcoming Program

Essays

History Now

History Now, the online journal of the Gilder Lehrman Institute, features essays by the nation’s leading historians.

Essays

Other Gilder Lehrman Essays

Historical Documents

Spotlights on Primary Sources

Each Spotlight on a document from the Gilder Lehrman Collection provides explanatory text, a transcript, and an image of the featured document.

Online Exhibitions

Online Exhibitions

The Gilder Lehrman Institute has more than eighty online exhibitions that cover American history from the colonial era to the present day.


 

Videos

Videos

Lesson Plans

Middle School Students

Middle and High School Students

Future Programs

Henry Knox to George Washington, December 17, 1775

Moving Artillery During the American Revolution

Our curators will discuss Henry Knox’s epic 1775–1776 journey bringing artillery from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston with Dr. Phil Hamilton, Professor of History, Christopher Newport University.

  • December 4, 2025
  • 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. PT)
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Engraving of Retreat from Long Island Aug. 29 1776

Continental Army Soldiers’ Experiences at Valley Forge and Beyond

Our curators will discuss the living conditions and daily experiences of Continental Army soldiers with author and journalist Dr. Rick Atkinson, recipient of the 202 George Washington Prize.

  • January 8, 2025
  • 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. PT)
Register

Program Archive

View the complete archive of Inside the Vault recordings, presentation slides, and related resources. Our past programs have featured documents from throughout American history and guest presentations by historians, teachers, curators, and Hamilton cast members.

View the Program Archive