Juneteenth National Independence Day
Juneteenth
Juneteenth is America’s newest federal holiday. It is observed each year on June 19th to mark the official end of slavery in the United States.
The day, has long been celebrated by Black Americans as a symbol of their emancipation — but the story behind the holiday, and how Juneteenth got its meaning, starts more than 150 years ago in Galveston, Texas.
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Poster/Presentation
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Emancipation Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation entered the Civil War’s third year.
The proclamation declared that the three million slaves living in the Confederate states were free.
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Major General Gordon Granger
For those who were largely isolated from Union armies, life continued as if the emancipation proclamation did not exist. This was the case in Texas, where thousands of slaves were unaware of their declared freedom.
On June 19, 1865, Union troops, led by Major General Gordon Granger, arrived in Galveston. Granger informed the populace that the Civil War was over and slavery in the United States was formally abolished. Over 250,000 enslaved people were freed.
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General Order No. 3
According to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, Major General Granger 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. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.”
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Leaving Texas
Regardless of the message, “The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages…” many former slaves immediately left Texas for neighboring states.
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Celebrations
Large celebrations commemorating Granger’s announcement began in 1866, and they continued regularly into the early 20th century.
The June 19th celebration spread from Texas to the neighboring states of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
Later it appeared in Alabama, Florida, and California as African American Texans migrated.
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1950s -1979
During World War II, the celebrations declined. But, a major celebration returned in 1950 at the Texas State Fair in Dallas.
By the late 1950s and 1960s, interest and participation again decreased as attention focused on expanding civil rights.
As we entered the 1970s, Juneteenth began to slowly revive in some communities and its popularity grew.
In 1979, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday; several others followed suit over the years.
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National Holiday
On June 18, 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation designating Juneteenth as a national holiday.
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Conclusion
On Juneteenth, the Department of Defense joins the Nation in honoring our commitment to equity, equality, and justice.
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End
Defense Equal Opportunity Management (DEOMI),
Patrick Space Force Base, Florida
June 2022
All photographs are public domain and
from various sources, as cited.
The educational information within this presentation is designed to raise individuals’ general awareness on this topic. The information in this document is not to be construed as an official DEOMI, U.S. Military Services, or Department of Defense position.