(General Orders. Department of Texas June 19, 1865)
Today is officially “Juneteeth, Observed,” a federal holiday, but yesterday was the historical holiday. On June 19, 1865, Union general Gordon Granger sailed into Galveston and issued General Order Number 3, which began: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” This ended the legal institution of chattel slavery in the former Confederate States, two years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, 10 weeks after Appomattox.
Contrary to popular belief, Juneteenth didn’t end slavery in the United States. It still existed in states which hadn’t seceded from the Union, like Kentucky, New Jersey, and Delaware, until January 1, 1866, six months later, when the 13th Amendment became effective. Slavery among the tribes of Indian Territory (today’s Oklahoma) did not effectually end until August 1866.
More:
“Juneteenth: Our Other Independence Day,” Kenneth C. Davis, Smithsonian.com
“Juneteenth,” Teresa Palomo Acosta, Handbook of Texas Online
“Juneteenth,” Stephanie Hall, Folklife Today
“What Is Juneteenth?” Henry Louis Gates, Jr., PBS
“Juneteenth,” Teresa Palomo Acosta, Handbook of Texas History
“The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth,” NMAAHC
Related:
“Freedmen’s Bureau,” Cecil Harper, Jr., Handbook of Texas History
Updates:
“Juneteenth holiday marking the end of slavery becomes law after decades of inaction,” Seung Min Kim, Washington Post
“How the US Military Helped Create the Juneteenth Holiday,” Blake Stilwell, Military.com
“When Did Slavery Really End in the United States?” J. Gordon Hylton, Marquette University Law School Faculty Blog
“Here are the four myths of Juneteenth that are not based on facts,” John Burnett, NPR
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