On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared all enslaved persons within rebellious states free. However, enslaved Black Americans in Texas remained in brutal bondage, immorally and illegally deprived of their freedom and basic dignity.  On June 19, 1865 — over 2 years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation— Major General Gordon Granger and Union Army troops marched to Galveston, Texas and issued General Order No. 3, enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation and freeing the last enslaved Black Americans in Texas. 

Juneteenth, otherwise known as Freedom Day, is considered America’s second Independence Day. The name is a combination of “June” and “nineteenth,” a reference to June 19, 1865. Juneteenth celebrations began in Texas as early as June 19, 1866. Juneteenth grew in popularity throughout the twentieth century as a celebration of African American freedom, culture, and achievement. Beginning with Texas in 1979, every U.S. state and the District of Columbia has come to formally recognize the Juneteenth holiday in some way. In June 2021, 155 years after it was first celebrated, President Joe Biden declared Juneteenth a national holiday. 

Today, Juneteenth represents the enduring struggle for freedom and equality, as well as the achievements and contributions of African Americans to American society. It serves as a reminder of the injustices of slavery and the ongoing fight for civil rights.

Although Juneteenth is popularly commemorated as the ending of slavery in the United States, it is the 13th Amendment, adopted as part of the United States Constitution on December 18, 1865, that officially abolished slavery throughout the United States.