IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 36
Encouraging the people of the United States to honor and celebrate the 
140th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and commending 
Abraham Lincoln’s efforts to end slavery. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 12, 2003
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois (for himself, Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. TOM 
DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, 
Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. CLAY, Mr. AKIN, Ms. 
LEE, Mr. EMANUEL, Mr. KLECZKA, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. TOWNS, Ms. 
VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. ETHERIDGE, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. 
SCOTT of Virginia, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON 
of Texas, Mr. FARR, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. 
JACKSON of Illinois, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. OWENS, Mr. REYES, Mr. 
MEEHAN, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. MOORE, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. MAJETTE, 
Mr. DAVIS of Alabama, Mr. FILNER, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. JOHN-
SON of Illinois, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. WAMP, Mr. CASE, 
Mr. ROGERS of Alabama, Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, 
Mr. TERRY, Ms. WATERS, Ms. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. WATSON, Mr. 
RAHALL, Mr. DOYLE, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, 
Mr. SABO, Mr. MICHAUD, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. NADLER, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. 
COSTELLO, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. SANDLIN, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. BRADY of 
Pennsylvania, Mr. EVANS, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. JOHN, Mr. UDALL of Col-
orado, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. WU, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. BORDALLO, Ms. 
MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. FROST, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. BLUMENAUER, 
Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. WYNN, Mr. BOYD, Mr. MEEK of Florida, Mr. GON-
ZALEZ, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. HASTINGS
of Florida, Mr. INSLEE, Mr. 
RODRIGUEZ, Mr. DICKS, Mr. MCKEON, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. STRICK-
LAND, Mr. ROSS, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. MANZULLO, Ms. MCCAR-
THY of Missouri, Mr. BALLANCE, Mr. HONDA, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of 
Texas, Mr. HINCHEY, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. JEFFERSON, Mr. CARSON of 
Oklahoma, Mr. FORD, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. WATT, Ms. NORTON, Mr. KIL-
DEE, and Mr. BERMAN) submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform
•HCON 36 IH 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Encouraging the people of the United States to honor and 
celebrate the 140th anniversary of the Emancipation 
Proclamation and commending Abraham Lincoln’s ef-
forts to end slavery.
Whereas Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the 
United States, issued a proclamation on September 22, 
1862, declaring that on the first day of January, 1863, 
‘‘all persons held as slaves within any State or designated 
part of a State the people whereof shall then be in rebel-
lion against the United States shall be then, thence-
forward, and forever free’’; 
Whereas the proclamation declared ‘‘all persons held slaves 
within the insurgent States’’—with the exception of Ten-
nessee, southern Louisiana, and parts of Virginia, then 
within Union lines—‘‘are free’’; 
Whereas, for two and half years, Texas slaves were held in 
bondage after the Emancipation Proclamation became of-
ficial and only after Major General Gordon Granger and 
his soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 
1865, were African-American slaves in that State set 
free; 
Whereas slavery was a horrendous practice and trade in 
human trafficking that continued until the passage of the 
Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution 
ending slavery on December 18, 1865; 
Whereas the Emancipation Proclamation is historically sig-
nificant and history is regarded as a means of under-
standing the past and solving the challenges of the fu-
ture;
•HCON 36 IH 
Whereas one hundred and forty years after President Lin-
coln’s Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans 
have integrated into various levels of society; and 
Whereas commemorating the 140th anniversary of the Eman-
cipation Proclamation highlights and reflects the suf-
fering and progress of the faith and strength of character 
shown by slaves and their descendants as an example for 
all people of the United States, regardless of background, 
religion, or race: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress—
(1) recognizes the historical significance of the 
140th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclama-
tion as an important period in the Nation’s history; 
and 
(2) encourages its celebration in accordance 
with the spirit, strength, and legacy of freedom, jus-
tice, and equality for all people of America and to 
provide an opportunity for all people of the United 
States to learn more about the past and to better 
understand the experiences that have shaped the 
Nation.
Æ