Presidential Message on the 154th Anniversary of the Ratification of the 13th Amendment
On this day in 1865, the United States ratified the 13th Amendment to our Constitution, abolishing slavery and setting our Nation on a path that would ensure that the blessings of liberty endowed to us by our Creator were secured for all Americans. America was founded on the conviction that “all men are created equal.” However, it was not until nearly a century after these words were written that the law of the land reflected this fundamental truth for African Americans. On that historic December day 154 years ago, Georgia became the 27th State to ratify the 13th Amendment, forever removing the shackles of slavery and untying the bonds of hate and oppression that had denied millions of African Americans their God-given rights of “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Despite suffering the horrors of slavery and all that flowed from this inexcusable and cruel act against humanity, African Americans have been instrumental in building and bolstering our great Nat...