Today is National Freedom Day, annually observed in the United States, on February 1st. This day honors the signing by Abraham Lincoln of a joint House and Senate resolution that later became the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. On February 1, 1865, President Lincoln signed the Amendment outlawing slavery. (although it was not ratified by the states until later in December of 1865) Former slave and Philadelphia resident, Major Richard Robert Wright Sr., had a vision of a day when freedom for all Americans is celebrated. He invited leaders, both local and national, to meet together and organize a movement for a national holiday to commemorate Lincoln’s signing on February 1, 1865. Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, hosted the first commemoration of National Freedom Day on February 1, 1942. On that first year, the commemoration included laying a wreath at the Liberty Bell. This tradition has been carried on each year since. On National Freedom Day, many people across the nation reflect on the freedoms that the United States honors and to appreciate the goodwill of the United States. LET FREEDOM RING
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 13:02:19 +0000
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