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| Compensated Emancipation Act |
April 15 is synonymous with tax day, until it interferes
with the Compensated
Emancipation Act, signed by Abraham Lincoln. This holiday is observed annually on April
16. The Washington D. C. Emancipation Day
(only observed in the District of Columbia) is a legal holiday in D. C., but affects all Americans when it is celebrated on Tax Day. Yet, it still is fuzzy. Why was tax day moved
from Friday April 15 to April 18 when the D. C. holiday is the 16th of April?
Well…the practice is the 16 April Washington D. C.
Emancipation day is celebrated on the closest weekday. That landed the holiday recognition on the 15
April in 2016 and allowed the D.C. public employees a long weekend to celebrate
this historically significant day. Click
here to see the tax code for a
more confusing explanation.
Know that this date change only affects Federal Taxes, not local taxes such as KCMO Individual Earned Tax which was due 15 April (yes, I learned the hard way, and gladly had to donate a late penalty fee toward bettering our city).
Know that this date change only affects Federal Taxes, not local taxes such as KCMO Individual Earned Tax which was due 15 April (yes, I learned the hard way, and gladly had to donate a late penalty fee toward bettering our city).
Research D.
C. Slave Owner and Emancipated Slave Records
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| Slave Record |
D. C. slaves were emancipated on 16 April 1862,
abolishing slavery 8.5 months prior to the Emancipation Proclamation that was
issued 1 Jan 1863.
Thanks to the Compensated Emancipation Act, slave and
slaveholder information was detailed leaving a money trail to follow for the
researcher.
This new act permitted slave owners to file petitions for compensation promising loyal Unionist masters up to $300 for each slave as well as voluntary colonization for former slaves outside the United States. An initial 966 petitioners filed claims for 3,100 slaves and another 161 persons submitted claims after the July 12 supplementary act including former slaves whose owners had not filed petitions. These are the records contained in this database.(ancestry.com)
Records on the compensation leads DC
slave and slaveholder researchers with useful documentations that most often
shares names and ages of emancipated slaves, the names of their parents,
and how these slaves were acquired.
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| Slaveholder Petition |
Combining
the slaveholder petitions and statements of the emancipated slave paints a
larger picture for researchers. The
Washington, D.C. Slave Owner Petitions, 1862-1863 records may also be found on ancestry.com.
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| Minutes of Meetings |
Be sure to also review the Minutes of Meetings, April 28, 1862 - January 14, 1863 and the summary List of
Awards to Slave Owners which have been digitized on ancestry.com for a final amount awarded
to the slaveholder and the number of “servants” allowed per slaveholder claim. Researchers will also find digitized
Slave Emancipation Records 1851-1863 for Washington, D. C. on ancestry.com.
Tax Day on the 19th For Others
Maine and
Massachusetts Holiday Moves Tax Day To 19th April. Because being an American and Tax Day is intertwined, we
can’t forget the Revolutionary War patriots and their impact on tax day causing Maine
and Massachusetts to have a different tax day in 2016 than the rest of the Union. Maine and Massachusetts traditionally celebrate Patriot’s
Day on the 3rd Monday of April, so those tax payers have until
Tuesday, 19 April.
What is Patriots’ /
Patriot’s Day?
Patriots Day - a holiday never celebrated in my birth state
of Kansas or adopted state of Missouri - commemorates the first battles of the
American Revolutionary War - 1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord. From what I
can gather, this holiday is most celebrated by the Boston
Marathon. I’m sure there’s a link to the Greek Battle of Marathon, but
that’s out of my pay grade.
Don’t let me misguide you.
Patriots’ Day is a HUUGGEE day in New England - even to include the New
Hampshire Minute Men. Check out Nutfield Genealogy blog entitled Patriot’s
Day! Answering the Lexington Alarm from Hudson, New Hampshire. In this
entire region there are reenactments and celebrations of patriotism.
Why Maine?
In Maine, like Massachusetts, Patriot's Day is an official holiday.“Why Maine?” is the most common question that we get. And
with a little understanding it makes sense. A simplified explanation is Maine, a former province of Massachusetts
is 30,000 square miles of land carved out of Massachusetts – Massachusetts Bay
Colony. Maine gained statehood in 1820 but that stretch of land and its citizens
must be remembered for their quick
response to serve in the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
To show their independence from Massachusetts, Maine celebrates “Patriot’s Day” whereas Massachusetts celebrates Patriots’ Day. (Please let us know at a3Genealogy if you know the real history of the name distinction).
To show their independence from Massachusetts, Maine celebrates “Patriot’s Day” whereas Massachusetts celebrates Patriots’ Day. (Please let us know at a3Genealogy if you know the real history of the name distinction).
Thanking Your ME, MA Ancestor
for Extra Tax Preparation Day?
I checked and none of my ancestors were brave enough to join the minutemen of 19 April 1775 (or free to do so).
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| Lexington Minute Man Memorial |
For the rest of the U.S.A. we can pick up this conversation
in July, but for now, hoping you are either wrapping up your tax forms or
filing an extension!
Happy Tax Day!
Kathleen Brandt
a3Genealogy@gmail.com
Accurate, accessible answers
