Juneteenth

  • Juneteenth

    A holiday celebrated on June 19th to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the US. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on that date in 1865, in the aftermath of the Civil War, slaves were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation.

    Texas was the most remote of the slave states, and the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, was not enforced there until after the Civil War had ended. The name of the observance is a portmanteau of "June" and "nineteenth", the date of its celebration.

    When did Juneteenth become a holiday?

    1980

    Juneteenth became a state holiday in Texas in 1980, and a number of other states subsequently followed suit. The day is also celebrated outside the United States, with organizations in a number of countries using the day to recognize the end of slavery and to celebrate the culture and achievements of African Americans.

     

    Who founded Juneteenth?

    General Gordon Granger

    Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration honoring the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger led thousands of federal troops to Galveston, Texas to announce that the Civil War had ended, and slaves had been freed.

     

    When did Texas end slavery?

    June 19, 1865

    Today is Juneteenth, the holiday that marks what happened in Texas on June 19, 1865. Slave owners in the state had kept news of the Emancipation Proclamation, issued two years earlier, from their slaves.

     

    What are the colors of Juneteenth?

    The colors red, white, and blue echo the American flag to symbolize that the enslaved people and their descendants were Americans. The star in the middle pays homage to Texas, while the bursting "new star" on the "horizon" of the red and blue fields represents a new freedom and a new people. 

    Juneteenth flag

    Who abolished slavery?

    President Abraham Lincoln

    The 13th amendment, which formally abolished slavery in the United States, passed the Senate on April 8, 1864, and the House on January 31, 1865. On February 1, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln approved the Joint Resolution of Congress submitting the proposed amendment to the state legislatures.

     

    What is the main purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation?

    The Emancipation Proclamation granted freedom to the slaves in the Confederate States if the States did not return to the Union by January 1, 1863. In addition, under this proclamation, freedom would only come to the slaves if the Union won the war.

Juneteenth Resources