The White House issued a presidential message Thursday marking the anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863.
The statement commemorated the document as a defining moment in U.S. history, noting that it redefined the Civil War and paved the way for the abolition of slavery, which was later formalized through the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment.
The DX Brief
- The message was released on January 1 as part of the America 250 commemoration
- The Emancipation Proclamation declared enslaved people in rebellious states “forever free”
- The White House described the proclamation as a turning point in the Civil War
- The statement linked the proclamation to the eventual passage of the Thirteenth Amendment
- The message emphasized national unity, liberty, and equality as enduring American principles
Read the full statement at The White House
