A copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, will be on display in Springfield in coming weeks as part of the celebration of the Juneteenth holiday.
According to officials at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the original document, one of just two-dozen still in existence, will be displayed for two weeks at the library, along with other items and stories surrounding the move to free slaves during the American Civil War.
There is no charge for admission at the museum, and the proclamation will be available for viewing between June 19-23 and June 26-30. The museum is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“Few documents in all of American history carry the weight of the Emancipation Proclamation,” executive director Christina Shutt said in a statement. “We are proud to share it with the public and celebrate its connection to such a joyous holiday.”
The proclamation was signed by Lincoln and by Secretary of State William Seward.
A website will also be available allowing people to explore the proclamation and to get a better sense of its impact on history. The site will launch June 19.
The Emancipation Proclamation, which went into effect in Jan. 1863, ordered slaves freed in states that had attempted to secede from the Union. The proclamation was enforced as Union troops gained ground in the south, but the ultimate goal of abolition was ultimately achieved by the passage of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in Dec. 1865.
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The Juneteenth holiday marks the date in 1865 when General Gordon Granger proclaimed slaves in Texas to be freed. Juneteenth originated in Galveston, Texas, and the holiday is now observed as a federal holiday after President Joe Biden signed legislation in 2021.
The museum will also present a display about the history of Black Americans, and their fight for full citizenship, according to officials.
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More information can be found on the library’s website.
