III 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 201 

Designating June 19, 2015, 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 15, 2015 

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

BOXER, Mr. BROWN, Mr. BURR, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. CASEY, Mr. COCHRAN, 

Mr. CRUZ, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. FRANKEN, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. HEINRICH, Ms. HIRONO, 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. 

PORTMAN, Mr. REID, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. SCOTT, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. TOOMEY, Mr. WARNER, Ms. WARREN, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, 

and Mr. WICKER) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating June 19, 2015, 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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•SRES 201 ATS 

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 150 years; 

Whereas 43 States, the District of Columbia, and other countries 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; 

Whereas Frederick Douglass, born in the State of Maryland 

in 1818, escaped from slavery and became a leading writer, orator, publisher, and one of the most influential advocates in the United States for abolitionism and the 

equality of all people; 


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•SRES 201 ATS 

Whereas Frederick Douglass was recognized for his accomplishments with a statue that was unveiled during a ceremony on June 19, 2013, in Emancipation Hall in the 

United States Capitol; 

Whereas 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of 

the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.), 

signed into law on August 6, 1965, a milestone in providing equal protections for African-Americans, including 

former slaves and the descendants of former slaves; 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— 

2 (1) designates June 19, 2015, as ‘‘Juneteenth 

3 Independence Day’’; 

4 (2) recognizes the historical significance of 

5 ‘‘Juneteenth Independence Day’’ to the United 

6 States; 

7 (3) supports the continued nationwide celebra8 tion of ‘‘Juneteenth Independence Day’’ to provide 

9 an opportunity for the people of the United States 

10 to learn more about the past and to better under11 stand the experiences that have shaped the United 

12 States; and 

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

14 slavery is part of the history and heritage of the 

15 United States. 

Æ 


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