On January 1, 1863 the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Abraham Lincoln. This important document declared that the slaves in the Confederate states (those rebelling against the US government) were free.
However, southern states continued to hold people in slavery until the end of the Civil War. When the war ended in May 1865, the freeing of slaves was more easily enforced by US troops.
During the Civil War, there were about 250,000 slaves in Texas–most of whom did not know of the Emancipation Proclamation or the ending of the war. When Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865, he announced this news in General Order Number 3.
Texas began observing June 19th (“Juneteenth”) annually with various festivities such as picnics, barbecues, and thanksgiving celebrations. It became a Texas state holiday in 1979 and eventually spread across the nation. Juneteenth is now recognized as a federal holiday.
Although Juneteenth was not the end of slavery in America, it was an important step in ending slavery in Texas. The Thirteenth Amendment, passed in January and ratified in December of 1865, officially ended slavery for the whole nation.
Today try to find Juneteenth celebrations in your area. Let’s celebrate this major announcement in ending slavery!
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