National Freedom Day is a United States holiday held on February 1st. The holiday honors the signing by Abraham Lincoln of a resolution that later became the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution.President Lincoln signed the amendment outlawing slavery on February 1st, 1865. Major Wright, a former slave, believed that there should be a day when freedom for all Americans is celebrated.While living in Philadelphia, he invited local and national leaders to meet to organize a movement for a national holiday to commemorate Lincoln's signing of the 13th Amendment. The resulting National Freedom Association proposed a memorial date to call attention to the continuing struggle for freedom for African-Americans.Since President Lincoln had signed the 13th Amendment on the first day of February, that date was chosen to celebrate National Freedom Day.The first commemoration took place on February 1st, 1942, at Independence Hall.On June 30th, 1948, President Harry Truman signed a bill proclaiming February 1st as National Freedom Day.National Freedom Day is not a federal holiday.Government offices and banks are still open for business on this holiday.