September 22 (Saturday at 12 noon). Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation. On September 22, 1862 President Abraham Lincoln announced his Emancipation Proclamation to free all enslaved people in rebellious states as of January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation is widely regarded as one of the great documents of our nation's history as well as evidence of President Lincoln's decision to shift the Civil War to a war against slavery. To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, AmeriCorps member Richard Donegan will give a free, public reading of the historic document. A brief discussion of the proclamation's impact will follow. This event is part of a statewide initiative organized by the Ohio Historical Society's Civil War 150 Advisory Committee to read aloud the Emancipation Proclamation at least once in all of Ohio's 88 counties this week. For more information, or to let the Civil War 150 Committee know you're joining in, contact Amy Rohmiller at [email protected]. Location: Grounds of the Monroe House (rain location: Little Red Schoolhouse).