I was thinking the date of the Emancipation Proclamation (September 22) or ratification of the 13th Amendment (December 6) would be much better dates to have a holiday celebrating the end of slavery, June 19 wasn't a particularly important date, but it falls at a convenient time on the calendar so let's roll with it.
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It wasn't the date of the Emancipation Proclamation it was signed on 1)1 and news didn't travel as fast across the states like now it took til June 19 to reach the states
I said 9/19/2015 and 5/17/22 were both days when my mom and then father died