Monday, April 16, 2018

Washington, D.C. Celebrates Emancipation Day

The tax deadline for 2018 was April 17th, not April 15th. In part, this was because the 15th fell over a weekend, but also, because it is a holiday today specific to Washington, D.C..

According to the DC Emancipation Day website, what is honored on this day is:

The DC Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862 ended slavery in Washington, DC, freed 3,100 individuals, reimbursed those who had legally owned them and offered the newly freed women and men money to emigrate. It is this legislation, and the courage and struggle of those who fought to make it a reality, that we commemorate every April 16, DC Emancipation Day.

It was on this day in 1862 that President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Act, effectively legally ending slavery in the United States, and this is what Washington, D.C. is honoring today.

Plus, it is an extra day extension regarding the tax deadline.





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