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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, On April 9, 1965, at the Appomattox Court House in 
3the State of Virginia, Robert E. Lee, Commander of the Army of 
4Northern Virginia, surrendered his Confederate forces to 
5Ulysses S. Grant, Commander of the Union Army; and
  
 
6    WHEREAS, This was the beginning of the end of the American 
7Civil War, which saw over 750,000 Americans on both sides 
8killed; and
  
 
9    WHEREAS, The end of the Civil War also saw the end of 
10slavery in America, freeing a slave population that had reached 
11nearly 4 million in 1860; and
  
 

  
12    WHEREAS, On April 9, 2015, the 150th anniversary of the end 
13of the Civil War, at 2:15 p.m., as part of the "Ring the Bell" 
14campaign, churches, temples, schools, city halls, public 
15buildings, and historic sites are invited to ring their bells 
16for 4 minutes to represent the 4 years of the Civil War; the 
17bells will first ring at the Appomattox Court House National 
18Park  to coincide with the moment when General Grant met General 
19Lee to set the terms of the surrender of the Army of Northern 
20Virginia; therefore, be it
  
 
21    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
 
 
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1NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
2recognize the 150th anniversary of the end of the American 
3Civil War and the end of slavery in the America; and be it 
4further
 
5    RESOLVED, That we encourage people to take part in the 
6"Ring the Bell" campaign in recognition of those who fought in 
7the Civil War and the continuing struggle for Civil Rights.