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Presidential Proclamation -- 150th Anniversary of the 13th Amendment

12/8/2015

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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release December 4, 2015

150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 13TH AMENDMENT

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

On December 6, 1865, a coalition comprising three-quarters

of our Nation's States ratified the 13th Amendment to our

Constitution, abolishing slavery in the United States and

affirming the truth that no union founded on the principles of

liberty and equality could survive half-slave and half-free.

Bringing to a close one of the most painful chapters in our

country's history, the Amendment ushered in a new birth of

freedom. Today, we celebrate it for the protections it restored

and the lives it liberated, and in honor of the millions of

slaves who endured brutal violence and daily indignities, we

rededicate ourselves to the proposition manifested in its

This Amendment to the Constitution came not only at the

culmination of years of Civil War, but also as a result of

courageous individuals advocating and agitating for an America

in which slavery was no longer an institution of society.

President Lincoln gave his last full measure of devotion to the

cause he would not live to see codified. He knew the basic

rights he sought for slaves could only be secured by a whole

and unified Government, and he pursued reconciliation while

remaining fierce in his conviction. Volunteers along the

Underground Railroad aided slaves seeking freedom, providing

safety and comfort in the midst of deep anguish. And soldiers

who fought, sometimes against their own sisters and brothers,

did so for both the preservation of our Union and liberty

itself. The 13th Amendment was the product of generations of

men and women who, through centuries of bloodshed and systemic

oppression, stayed true to their belief in what America could be

and kept marching toward justice.

The courage to change that sustained the abolitionist

movement carried forth in a long line of heroes who

followed -- individuals who loved our country profoundly and

answered the patriotic call to push it to expand the boundaries

of freedom. From ordinary women stepping into an extraordinary

role, bravely fighting for their right to participate in our

democracy, to a coalition of conscience that marched on our

Nation's Capital and protested for equality, the last century

and a half has been defined by those who stood resolute in

keeping lit the flame that burned in the hearts of all those

determined to secure what they knew to be their God-given

2

Today, we continue the long journey toward an America and a

world where liberty and equality are not reserved for some, but

extended to all. Across the globe, including right here at

home, millions of men, women, and children are victims of human

trafficking and modern-day slavery. We remain committed to

abolishing slavery in all its forms and draw strength from the

courage and resolve of generations past.

One hundred and fifty years after the 13th Amendment's

ratification, the United States endures, and though the scourge

of slavery is a stain on our history, we remain a people not

trapped by the mistakes of our past, but one that can look at

our imperfections with humility and decide it is within our

power to remake our Nation to more closely align with our

highest ideals. On this historic occasion, let us pay tribute

to those who suffered for too long and to those who risked

everything to make this country better. With unyielding

determination to stand on their shoulders and reach for an

even freer and more equal tomorrow, we can honor them with

the recognition and respect worthy of their extraordinary

contributions to our country.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the

United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in

me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do

hereby proclaim December 6, 2015, as the 150th Anniversary of

the 13th Amendment. I call upon the people of the United States

to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and

activities that celebrate the 13th Amendment.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this

fourth day of December, in the year of our Lord

two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the

United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.

BARACK OBAMA
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