National Freedom Day

February 1st is National Freedom Day. It is in observance of President Lincoln signing the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery on February 1, 1865. (The battle to get this Amendment passed is the plot of the recent Steven Spielberg movie "Lincoln", the trailer is below.)

Major Richard Robert Wright Sr. a former slave, believed that there should be a day when freedom for all Americans is celebrated. He invited local and national leaders to help create a national holiday to commemorate Lincoln's signing of the 13th Amendment; since that was on the first day of February, that was the date chosen. The first commemoration took place on February 1, 1942, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It included laying a wreath at the Liberty Bell and that has become a tradition ever since.

On June 30, 1948, President Harry Truman signed a bill proclaiming February 1 as National Freedom Day. It is not a federal holiday but on this day many towns have festivals and citizens can reflect on the freedoms that the United States honors.