Lincoln called the Declaration of Independence—which emphasized freedom and equality for all—the "sheet anchor" of republicanism beginning in the 1850s.
lˈɪŋkən kˈɔːld ðə dˌɛklɚɹˈeɪʃən ʌv ˌɪndᵻpˈɛndəns—wˌɪtʃ ˈɛmfɐsˌaɪzd fɹˈiːdəm ænd iːkwˈɔlᵻɾi fɔːɹ ˈɔːl—ðə "ʃˈiːt ˈæŋkɚ" ʌv ɹᵻpˈʌblɪkənˌɪzəm bɪɡˈɪnɪŋ ɪnðə wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti z.