What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is a celebration in the U.S. commemorating the freedom of slaves on June 19, 1865. Juneteenth was first celebrated in Galveston, Texas, where on that day in 1865 slaves were deemed free. Maj. Gen Gordan Granger of the Union Army, issued Order No. 3, informing the people of Texas that all slaves in the United States were to be freed, also proclaiming the Union Army's authority over Texas. By this time Abraham Lincoln had died, the Confederate capitol in Richmond had fallen, and the 13th amendment to the US Constitution abolishing slavery was headed towards ratification. The Emancipation Proclamation had already ended slavery in 1862. When Granger issued this order, slave owners in Texas did not release its 250,000...
