HR0086

LRB096 11093 AJO 21429 r






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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The contributions of many African-Americans have 
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been left out of numerous history books; and

 
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    WHEREAS, More than 12 million slaves were shipped to the 
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Americas and of those, 645,000 were brought to the United 
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States; by the 1860 census, the slave population in the United 
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States had grown to approximately 4 million persons; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Enslaved labor was necessary for colonial empires 
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to survive in America and without the contributions of slaves 
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performing the jobs necessary to the building of  the United 
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States, our country would not have developed into the strong 
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nation that it is today; and

 
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    WHEREAS,  In the maritime industry, slave labor was needed 
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to load, unload, and transport goods around the United States 
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and abroad; in the South, slave labor was necessary to clear 
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the fields, plant, tend, and harvest the crops, especially the 
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crops of tobacco, cotton, and sugar cane, as well as to 
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transport the crops to market; the enslaved performed all kinds 
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of jobs within the United States; and

 
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    WHEREAS,  Not only did African-Americans contribute to the 
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development of this country, they fought for its freedom as 
 


 






HR0086
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LRB096 11093 AJO 21429 r




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well; African-Americans have fought in all wars, from the 
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American Revolution to our present wars; and

 
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    WHEREAS, It would be fitting to honor the contributions of 
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African-American slaves in the United States by a declaration 
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of the United States Congress that commemorates those efforts 
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and sacrifices; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
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the Illinois State House of Representatives urges the Congress 
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to honor the contributions of African-American slaves in the 
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United States by declaring that every February 28th shall be 
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designated as Honor the Contributions of African-American 
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Slaves in the United States Day; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
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delivered to the Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the 
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United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the 
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United States House of Representatives, and to each member of 
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the Illinois congressional delegation.