On January 1, 2026, the White House issued a presidential message marking the 163rd anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which was signed on January 1, 1863. The proclamation declared that persons held in slavery in the rebelling states were ‘shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free,’ redefining the Civil War’s purpose and linking every Union victory to liberty. The White House noted that the proclamation set the stage for the eventual abolition of slavery, culminating in the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment nearly two years later. It reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to equality, justice, and dignity for all, underscoring the United States’ identity as a nation built on these principles.
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https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2026/01/america-250-presidential-message-on-the-anniversary-of-the-emancipation-proclamation/
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