RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL
Richmond City Council – Richmond City Hall - 900 E. Broad Street, Suite 200 - Richmond, VA 23219 - www.council.richmondva.gov
COUNCIL PUBLIC INFORMATION NEWS ADVISORY
IMMEDIATE RELEASE TO BE FORWARDED AND SHARED
Friday, February 1, 2013
Richmond City Council commemorates the Presidential signing of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Banning Slavery in the United States of America
Richmond Residents invited and encouraged to join in remembrance
WHAT (Richmond, Virginia U.S.A.) -- Richmond City Council today commemorates the Presidential signing of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America to ban the institution of slavery in America.
Approved by the United States Congress on January 31, 1865, the Amendment was signed and approved by President Abraham Lincoln on February 1, 1865. The Constitutional Amendment was then sent to state legislatures for ratification and, on December 18, 1865, was officially ratified, therefore officially abolishing slavery in the United States of America.
A precursor for this Amendment was the Emancipation Proclamation, an Executive Order signed by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, which proclaimed the freedom of people living in slavery in the 10 states, then in rebellion against the United States of America.
The 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America reads as follows:
Amendment XIII
Section 1.
Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Richmond City Council invites and encourages all Richmond Residents to join in remembrance of this important historic date.
CONTACT For more information, please contact The Honorable Charles R. Samuels, President, Richmond City Council, Councilman, North Central 2nd Voter District, at 804.646.6532 (tel); charles.samuels@richmondgov.com (email)
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Steven R. Skinner, APR
Council Public Information Manager
Office of the Chief of Staff
RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL
Richmond City Hall
900 E. Broad Street, Suite 305
Richmond, Virginia 23219
804.646.6052 (office)
804.335.4054 (mobile)
804.937.1386 (home/mobile)
804.646.5468 (fax)
skinnesr@ci.richmond.va.us (email)
www.council.richmondva.gov(website)
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MISSION The mission of Richmond City Council
is to represent citizens in creating and amending
local laws, providing government policy and
oversight, and approving the city budget.
VISION Richmond City Council is committed to
creating a vibrant community that is a great place
to live, work, learn, play, visit and raise a family.