• 4 facts about Juneteenth, which marks the last day of slavery

    By: Stephanie Toone, Atlanta Journal-Constitution


    June 19 marks a pivotal point in American history. On June 19, 1865, the last slaves in Texas and more broadly the Confederate South were freed.

    Across the country, the day has been celebrated with parades, plays and other festivities that honor the African-American culture that developed during and after slavery. 

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    Here are 4 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 the country to keep the history of Juneteenth alive.

    Some Twitter users have already begun to share tidbits about the day’s history and plans for the holiday online.

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