The History Behind Juneteenth

The History Behind the Celebration of Juneteenth

While The Emancipation Proclamation had been issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, news of this proclamation spread slowly to the Confederate states.  Texas, being a remote and isolated state, was one of the last places where enslaved people learned about their freedom.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, commemorates the emancipation of the last of the enslaved African Americans in the United States. The origin of Juneteenth dates back to June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order No. 3, which proclaimed freedom for the enslaved people in Texas.

General Granger's arrival in Galveston with the Union troops and the reading of General Order No. 3 effectively enforced the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas. The order declared that "all slaves are free" and stated that they should be informed of their new status and allowed to leave the plantations.

Juneteenth, therefore, marks the day when the news of emancipation reached the enslaved people in Texas, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The name "Juneteenth" is a combination of "June" and "nineteenth," referring to the specific date when General Granger made the announcement.

After the initial celebration in 1865, Juneteenth became an annual tradition and a day of jubilation and remembrance for African Americans across Texas. It gradually spread to other states as African Americans migrated throughout the country. The observance of Juneteenth gained more prominence during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and it eventually became recognized as an official state holiday in Texas in 1980.

In recent years, there has been a growing movement to recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday in the United States. On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law designating Juneteenth as a federal holiday, making it the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established in 1983. This recognition reflects the importance of Juneteenth in American history and its significance as a celebration of freedom and equality.