Bill > HR0150

This Resolution recognizes the 150th anniversary of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which officially abolished slavery, on December 6, 2015, and honors all those who fought against slavery, particularly those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom guaranteed by this amendment. The resolution provides historical context, detailing how slavery was a foundational element of the early United States, its growth to nearly 4 million enslaved people by 1860, and the deep divisions it caused, leading to the Civil War. It highlights President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which freed slaves in Confederate-held territories, and the subsequent legislative process that led to the Thirteenth Amendment's proposal and ratification, with Illinois being the first state to ratify it. The amendment was officially adopted on December 6, 1865, marking a significant turning point in American history and the pursuit of equality.