Expressing support for designation of June 19, 2019, as "Juneteenth Independence Day" in recognition of June 19, 1865, the date on which slavery legally came to an end in the United States.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 448 Expressing support for designation of June 19, 2019, as ‘‘Juneteenth Inde- pendence Day’’ in recognition of June 19, 1865, the date on which slavery legally came to an end in the United States. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 19, 2019 Mr. WEBER of Texas submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform RESOLUTION Expressing support for designation of June 19, 2019, as ‘‘Juneteenth Independence Day’’ in recognition of June 19, 1865, the date on which slavery legally came to an end in the United States. Whereas news of the end of slavery did not reach the frontier areas of the United States, in particular the State of Texas and the other Southwestern States, until months after the conclusion of the Civil War, more than 21⁄2 years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Eman- cipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863; Whereas, on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were free; VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:39 Jun 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR448.IH HR448 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 448 IH Whereas African Americans who had been slaves in the Southwest celebrated June 19, commonly known as ‘‘Juneteenth Independence Day’’, as inspiration and en- couragement for future generations; Whereas African Americans from the Southwest have contin- ued the tradition of observing Juneteenth Independence Day for over 150 years; Whereas 45 States and the District of Columbia have des- ignated Juneteenth Independence Day as a special day of observance in recognition of the emancipation of all slaves in the United States; Whereas Juneteenth Independence Day celebrations have been held to honor African-American freedom while en- couraging self-development and respect for all cultures; Whereas the faith and strength of character demonstrated by former slaves and the descendants of former slaves re- main an example for all people of the United States, re- gardless of background, religion, or race; Whereas slavery was not officially abolished until the ratifica- tion of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States in December 1865; and Whereas, over the course of its history, the United States has grown into a symbol of democracy and freedom around the world: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) supports the designation of ‘‘Juneteenth 2 Independence Day’’; 3 (2) recognizes the historical significance of 4 Juneteenth Independence Day to the United States; 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:39 Jun 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR448.IH HR448 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 448 IH (3) supports the continued nationwide celebra- 1 tion of Juneteenth Independence Day to provide an 2 opportunity for the people of the United States to 3 learn more about the past and to better understand 4 the experiences that have shaped the United States; 5 and 6 (4) recognizes that the observance of the end of 7 slavery is part of the history and heritage of the 8 United States. 9 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:39 Jun 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR448.IH HR448 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS