Right on time for Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday Thursday, his 1864 victory speech after reelection was auctioned for 3.44 million dollars at the New York auction house Christie's, dpa reported.
The price for the four-page-document set a new auction record for documents of American history, Christie's stated in a press release. It is unknown whether the speech will remain in the US or was bought by a foreigner.
Lincoln wrote the speech spontaneously after his unexpected reelection. He delivered it November 10, 1864, in front of 1,500 people at the White House.
Despite the warnings of his advisors, Lincoln had insisted on the election which was held in the heat of the Civil War. In April of the following year, the war ended and just days later, on April 14, Lincoln was shot during a play he attended in Washington's Ford's Theater.
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