Here are 5 answers to some of the questions posed about Juneteenth:
Didn’t the Emancipation Proclamation end slavery years earlier?
Yes and No. According to the National Archives and Records Administration, Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on Sept. 22, 1862, declaring "on the first day of January . . . all p'ersons held as slaves within any State, or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free."
The proclamation only to states that had seceded from the United States, leaving slavery to remain unchallenged in the border states, according to the NARA. It would take nearly two-and-half years for Lincoln's proclamation to be relayed to Texas.
How did Juneteenth begin?
On June 19, 1865, Major Gen. Gordon Granger came to Galveston, Texas, to inform a reluctant community that President Abraham Lincoln two years earlier had freed the slaves and to press locals to comply with his directive. On this day, Granger announced “General Order No. 3.”
Prior to Granger's declaration, there was an estimated 250,000 slaves residing in Texas, according to historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
What caused the delay in Texans receiving this news?
Some have noted that Texas' geographic isolation may have played a role in the delay. According to Juneteenth.com, some accounts place the delay on a messenger who was murdered on his way to Texas with the news, while others say the news was deliberately withheld.
Even with the order, slavery did not end in Texas overnight, according to a report by Gates. Many slave owners traveled to Texas with their slaves to escape regulations enforced by the Union Army in other states for some time.
How are people honoring Juneteenth?
Parades, concerts and festivals will take place across country to keep the history of Juneteenth alive.
Credit: David Paul Morris
Credit: David Paul Morris
Some Twitter users have already begun to share tidbits about the day’s history and plans for the holiday online.
Today we celebrate #Juneteenth and reflect upon the end of slavery on this day in 1865.
— Elijah E. Cummings (@RepCummings) June 19, 2019
Juneteenth is a reminder that while our nation has made tremendous progress, we must continue to work to ensure freedom, equality, and justice for all.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. celebrates freedom with the commemoration of Juneteenth.
— Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. ® (@apa1906NETwork) June 19, 2019
On June 19, 1865, slavery was abolished in the state of Texas. The significance of the day is the emancipation of the last remaining enslaved in the United States of America. #Juneteenth pic.twitter.com/4pmGlMoAT8
About the Author