[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 129, 114th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9378 of 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 ratification.

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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 rights.
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

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Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA