150th Anniversary of the 13th Amendment

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.

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