PRINTER'S NO. 4110
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
1082
Session of
2018
INTRODUCED BY RABB, MURT, DRISCOLL, YOUNGBLOOD, KAVULICH,
SOLOMON, J. McNEILL, BERNSTINE, HILL-EVANS, KINSEY, GROVE,
MILLARD, CALTAGIRONE, ROEBUCK, WATSON, KIRKLAND, THOMAS,
FITZGERALD, BULLOCK, TAI, NEILSON AND DeLUCA, OCTOBER 1, 2018
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
OCTOBER 1, 2018
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing August 18, 2018, as the 500th anniversary of the
advent of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, which has taken a
nearly incalculable human and societal toll.
WHEREAS, On August 18, 1518, King Charles I of Spain issued a
charter sanctioning the transportation of enslaved people direct
from Africa to the Americas; and
WHEREAS, At the direction of King Charles, the trans-Atlantic
slave trade was created as a direct and economically lucrative
route to the Americas, which fundamentally changed the nature
and scale of the human trafficking industry; and
WHEREAS, The trans-Atlantic slave trade was responsible for
the transportation of more than 10 million enslaved African
people across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas between the
16th and 19th centuries; and
WHEREAS, The murder and sexual abuse of the enslaved captives
was widespread, and well over one million women, men and
children died during the dehumanizing voyage; and
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WHEREAS, Not only did the royal charter lead to the
kidnapping of millions of people and a lifetime of oppression,
pain and enduring trauma for enslaved laborers and their progeny
for generations, but it also led to the political and military
deterioration of large geographical areas of an entire
continent; and
WHEREAS, The Middle Passage, as the trans-Atlantic journey
would become known, was infamous for its horrors due to the
overcrowded, unsanitary and brutal conditions for its captive
passengers on cargo ships in which hundreds of Africans were
held below the ship decks during the 5,000-mile voyage; and
WHEREAS, The trans-Atlantic slave trade, known for its
unparalleled inhumanity, left a lasting legacy of deep poverty,
structural inequality and systemic racism that persist in the
United States and abroad; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania legislature passed the "Act for the
Gradual Abolition of Slavery" on March 1, 1780, the first
legislative enactment to end slavery in America; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Constitution declares that "all men
are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent
and indefeasible rights, among which are those of enjoying and
defending life and liberty, of acquiring, possessing and
protecting property and reputation, and of pursuing their own
happiness"; and
WHEREAS, While Pennsylvania was among the first colonies to
abolish slavery, the Commonwealth and many influential
Pennsylvanians, industries such as agriculture, manufacturing,
banking, finance, insurance, transportation and religious orders
significantly benefited directly and indirectly from enslaved
labor for decades after it was outlawed Statewide; and
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WHEREAS, Faith, courage, resilience, resistance, collective
ingenuity and strength of character demonstrated by enslaved,
manumitted and fugitive Pennsylvanians and their descendants
remain an example for all people of the United States; therefore
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize August
18, 2018, as the 500th anniversary of the advent of the trans-
Atlantic slave trade, which has taken a nearly incalculable
human and societal toll; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives remember those
that were sold into slavery 500 years ago and transported across
the Atlantic Ocean; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives never forget that
it is the Commonwealth's responsibility to protect the welfare
and well-being of all.
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