US Resolution Commemorates 200th Anniversary of Exodus of Missolonghi, Introduced by Gus Bilirakis

Greek-American Congressman Gus Bilirakis introduced this week a House Resolution recognizing the 200th anniversary of the heroic Exodus of Missolonghi and commemorating its historical significance to the Greek War of Independence.

House Resolution 1203 was submitted to the 2nd session of the 119th Congress, and was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs on April 21.

As an acknowledgment of his significant contribution to the Hellenic causes and to the promotion of the bicentennial anniversary of the Exodus of Messolonghi in the United States, Congressman Bilirakis was bestowed the Honorary Citizenship of Missolonghi during a special ceremony that took place in Washington.

Hosted by Antonis Alexandridis, Ambassador of Greece to the United States of America, at the Residence of Greece in Washington, the event was organised in honor of Congressman Gus, who is also Co-Chair of the Congresional Hellenic Caucus, and the Mayor of the Sacred City of Missolonghi Spyros Diamantopoulos, currently on an official visit to Washington DC on the occasion of the presentation of House Resolution 1203.

House Resolution in Recognition of Missolonghi heroism and sacrifice

The city of Missolonghi, western Greece, is renowened as a heroic as much as martyr town of the Greek War of Independence.

It endured three exhausting sieges between 1822 and 1826, culminating in the heroic Exodus on April 10, 1826, when its defenders and civilians chose sacrifice and honor over submission.

The Exodus of Missolonghi, commemorated this year for its 200th anniversary, “exemplified the universal ideals of liberty, altruism, human dignity, and sacrifice for the greater good, leaving a lasting imprint not only on Greek history but also on global consciousness,” House Resolution 1203 points out.

“The Greek War of Independence resonated deeply with the people of the United States, who viewed the struggle as a fight for liberty and as a revival of the democratic ideals of ancient Greece, which helped inspire the founding of the American Republic,” it adds.

American philhellenes who traveled to Greece and fought alongside Greek freedom fighters in Missolonghi included George Jarvis, William Townsend Washington, and Jonathan Peckham Miller, who took part in the Exodus and offered invaluable assistance to its besieged population. According to House Resolution 1203, the shared history of sacrifice and solidarity between the peoples of Greece and the United States continues to serve as a foundation for the enduring friendship and strategic partnership between the two nations.

Therefore, it asks that the U.S. House of Representatives recognizes and honors the 200th anniversary of the Exodus of Missolonghi as a defining moment in the Greek War of Independence and a landmark event in world history and that it promotes greater awareness of its historical and moral significance.

A series of religious, civic and cultural events, honoring the 200th anniversary of the Exodus of Missolonghi were introduced in Greece earlier in April.

In March, in a display of bipartisan unity in the United States Congress, members of the House of Representatives introduced another resolution celebrating the 205th anniversary of Greek Independence.