What is Juneteenth?

What is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth (June Nineteenth) is a federal holiday remembering the day when federal troops went to take over control of Galveston, TX on 06/19/1865, with the purpose of making sure that all slaves there were freed.

What is The Emancipation Proclamation?

The Emancipation Proclamation established that all slaves in confederate states in rebellion against the union would be free, forever. It was signed by then President Abraham Lincoln on 01/01/1863.

How Juneteenth Relates to The Emancipation Proclamation Explained

The Juneteenth event came around 2.5 years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. This is due to the proclamation not applying to slave-holding border states or rebel areas under union control. Texas continued the enslavement of people as they did not have much push back from union troops initially. So much so, that many outside of the state moved to Texas in hopes of being able to keep their slaves.

After the end of the war in spring of 1865, General Granger and union troops arrived in Galveston, now celebrated as “Juneteenth”. It came to be a celebrated historical event among newly freed Black people, who coined the name of the newly established holiday, also known as “Jubilee Day”, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and Black Independence Day.

In December of 1865, slavery in America was formally abolished with the adoption of the 13th Amendment.

What is the 13th Amendment?

The 13th Amendment was passed by Congress on January 31st, 1865, and ratified on December 6th, 1865. It abolished slavery in the United States, and states that “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

photo of 13th amendment
The 13th Amendment
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Credit

Credit to: https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth