Juneteenth: The history of a national holiday
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Here's some of its history, and how it came to be a national holiday just last year.
Emancipation Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation into law on Jan. 1, 1863, freeing all slaves in the Confederate states — on paper, at least.
In reality, enslaved people were not immediately freed. The proclamation applied to Confederate-controlled states, not border states or rebel states under Union control at the time.
And in Texas, where there had been no heavy fighting and no significant presence of Union troops, slavery continued as usual — and some saw the state as a haven for the practice.
On April 9, 1885, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia.
More: The history of Juneteenth and its future as a federal holiday
In June 1865, U.S. Gen. Gordon Granger reached Galveston, Texas, and read General Order No. 3: "The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free."
Newly-freed Black people celebrated the belated news, giving rise to the holiday.
More: Juneteenth, symbolic end of America's original sin of slavery, complements Independence Day
Formal abolition
In December 1865, the 13th Amendment formally abolished slavery in the United States.
On June 19, 1866, freedmen in Texas organized the first "Jubilee Day" to commemorate the event. As Black people migrated from Texas to other parts of the country in ensuing years, the tradition spread.
Other key dates
In 1980, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday.
On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation making Juneteenth a national holiday.
The Gadsden City Council voted on May 18 to make Juneteenth an official city holiday.
Sources: History.com, Juneteenth.com
Contact Gadsden Times reporter Donna Thornton at 256-393-3284 or donna.thornton@gadsdentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Why we celebrate? Here's some of the history of Juneteenth
