III 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 500 

Designating June 19, 2016, as ‘‘Juneteenth Independence Day’’ in recognition 

of June 19, 1865, the date on which slavery legally came to an end 

in the United States. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 16, 2016 

Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Mrs. BOXER, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. BENNET, Mr. 

BOOKER, Mr. BROWN, Mr. BURR, Mr. CASEY, Mr. COCHRAN, Mr. 

CRAPO, Mr. CRUZ, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. FRANKEN, Mrs. 

GILLIBRAND, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. KAINE, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, 

Mr. LANKFORD, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. LEE, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. MERKLEY, Ms. 

MURKOWSKI, Mr. MURPHY, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. NELSON, Mr. PAUL, Mr. 

PETERS, Mr. REID, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. SCOTT, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. WARNER, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. WICKER, Mr. 

WYDEN, and Ms. WARREN) submitted the following resolution; which was 

considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating June 19, 2016, 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 2 1⁄2

years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863; 

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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; 

Whereas African-Americans who had been slaves in the 

Southwest celebrated June 19, commonly known as 

‘‘Juneteenth Independence Day’’, as inspiration and encouragement for future generations; 

Whereas African-Americans from the Southwest have continued the tradition of observing Juneteenth Independence 

Day for over 150 years; 

Whereas 45 States and the District of Columbia have designated 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 encouraging self-development and respect for all cultures; 

Whereas the faith and strength of character demonstrated by 

former slaves and the descendants of former slaves remain an example for all people of the United States, regardless of background, religion, or race; 

Whereas slavery was not officially abolished until the ratification 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 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

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1 (1) designates June 19, 2016, as ‘‘Juneteenth 

2 Independence Day’’; 

3 (2) recognizes the historical significance of 

4 Juneteenth Independence Day to the United States; 

5 (3) supports the continued nationwide celebra6 tion of Juneteenth Independence Day to provide an 

7 opportunity for the people of the United States to 

8 learn more about the past and to better understand 

9 the experiences that have shaped the United States; 

10 and 

11 (4) recognizes that the observance of the end of 

12 slavery is part of the history and heritage of the 

13 United States. 

Æ 

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