On June 17, 2021, the United States of America recognized a new federal holiday with the signing of the “Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.” This year, as we recognize Juneteenth, we also remember its history.
Juneteenth, also known as Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day and Black Independence Day, is tied to the history of those enslaved in Galveston, Texas — individuals who did not learn that they were emancipated in 1863 with President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Instead, they learned two years later on June 19, 1865, when federal troops arrived in Galveston took control of the state and ensured that all enslaved people be freed.
President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, officially known as Proclamation 95, January 1, 1863, during the Civil War. This proclamation changed the legal status of more than 3.5 million enslaved persons in the Southern Confederate states from enslaved to free. It also allowed for the “recruitment” of former slaves into the paid service of the United States armed forces. Emancipation did not happen overnight, however. Slave owners withheld the information until after harvest season in many areas, and in Texas, a lack of Union forces meant this information was withheld for years.
During the Civil War, Texas had no Union forces present or large-scale fighting. Most slave holders moved to Texas, viewing it as a safe place to continue slavery. Therefore in Galveston, slaves did not learn of their freedom until almost two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was formally put into place.
It is also important to recognize that the aim of the Emancipation Proclamation was to include free slaves in the fighting to preserve the Union. It initially freed only the slaves in the rebellious states in the South, but by the end of the war, that freeing had influenced and prepared citizens to advocate for and accept the abolition of all slaves in both the North and South. By the end of January 1865, both houses of Congress had passed the 13th Amendment, and it was ratified that December.
Once freedom was established, the newly free men and women of Texas faced a continuous and arduous journey. Most continued to work for their previous owners, and some left the state of Texas. On December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment was finally passed, officially abolishing slavery. As freed slaves migrated from Texas to other parts of the country, the Juneteenth tradition spread and became so much more for the people of Galveston, Texas and the Country.
In 1979, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday; several others followed suit over the years.
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