威尼斯人娱乐场

威尼斯人娱乐场 To Display Emancipation Proclamation and 鈥楯uneteenth鈥� General Order No. 3, June 18鈥�20
Press Release 路 Monday, May 20, 2024

Washington, DC

The original Emancipation Proclamation will be on display, along with General Order No. 3, at the 威尼斯人娱乐场 in Washington, DC, from June 18 to 20, 2024. Special extended exhibit hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Timed ticket entry is available but not required. .

鈥淭he Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No. 3 are fundamental to understanding our nation鈥檚 history,鈥� said Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan. 鈥淭ogether, these records represent a pivotal moment in America鈥檚 pursuit of a more perfect union. I鈥檓 proud to have them on display at the 威尼斯人娱乐场 as we celebrate Juneteenth, and I look forward to adding the Emancipation Proclamation permanently to the Charters of Freedom in the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Rotunda soon.鈥�

In celebration of Juneteenth and the viewing of the Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No. 3, join us on Tuesday, June 18, at 3 p.m. ET in the McGowan Theater for interactive performances. will engage the audience with innovative storytelling. Come share stories of what Juneteenth means to you and see how the theater group鈥檚 actors, musicians, and storytellers creatively use improvisation to play back what is shared. This event is free and open to the public.

Please check our website for additional information.

The 威尼斯人娱乐场 Building in Washington, DC, is located on Constitution Avenue at 9th Street, NW. Free admission and fully accessible. Metro: Yellow or Green lines, Archives/Navy Memorial station. .

The Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No. 3 Featured Document Presentation is made possible in part by the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Foundation through the generous support of The Boeing Company.

Featured Document Display: The original
East Rotunda Gallery
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached the third year of the Civil War. Lincoln鈥檚 proclamation, which declared 鈥渢hat all persons held as slaves鈥� within the rebellious states 鈥渁re, and henceforward shall be free,鈥� was 鈥渁 fit and necessary war measure for suppressing rebellion.鈥� The Proclamation also declared the acceptance of Black men into military service. By the war鈥檚 end, almost 200,000 Black soldiers and sailors had fought for the Union and freedom. 

As a first step, the Emancipation Proclamation promised freedom and a new beginning for several million Americans and fundamentally transformed the character of the war. It recognized the moral force behind the Union cause and strengthened the Union both militarily and politically. As a milestone along the road to slavery鈥檚 final destruction, the Emancipation Proclamation has assumed a place among the great documents of the nation.

Related Featured Document Display:
West Rotunda Gallery
The freedom promised in the Emancipation Proclamation was finally delivered to 250,000 people who remained enslaved in Texas two and a half years after President Lincoln鈥檚 historic proclamation and two months after Union victory in the Civil War. On June 19, 1865, U.S. Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3, which informed the people of Texas that all enslaved persons in the state were now free. This day has come to be known as Juneteenth, a combination of June and 19th. It is also called Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, and it is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

Emancipation, however, was not a singular event in United States history. There were many emancipation days as enslaved people obtained their freedom in the decades spanning American independence through the Civil War. They were an important element of the abolition movement, which fought to end slavery and liberate the millions held in bondage across the country. That goal was not fully realized until December 6, 1865, when the requisite number of states ratified the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, legally ending slavery in the United States. 

While Juneteenth was initially celebrated primarily by people in African American communities in Texas, nearly all states and the District of Columbia recognize Juneteenth as an official state holiday or observance. On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. 

Related Online Resources

• Find resources related to African American History at Archives.gov. 
• Emancipation Proclamation and DC Emancipation Exhibits Celebrate Freedom 威尼斯人娱乐场 News story
• 威尼斯人娱乐场 Safeguards Original 鈥楯uneteenth鈥� General Order 威尼斯人娱乐场 News story
• Pieces of History blog on the Emancipation Proclamation鈥檚 fabled history
• Visitors Get a Rare Opportunity To See the Emancipation Proclamation 威尼斯人娱乐场 News story
• "鈥� a free 威尼斯人娱乐场 eBook
• , a 威尼斯人娱乐场 blog
• Records of the Freedmen鈥檚 Bureau, established by Congress to help former Black slaves and poor Whites in the South in the aftermath of the Civil War. Read an article about efforts to preserve and digitize this collection.