On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation that made Juneteenth an official federal Holiday. The name of the Holiday is a combination of the words “June” and “Nineteenth.” But what is significant about June 19th? History has never been my favorite subject, so I researched the matter and decided to share what I learned with our readers. In this article, we will discover the importance of June 19th and what it means for Black people in America.
Why is June 19th Significant?
On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Grander traveled to Texas to deliver General Order 3, which stated, amongst other things, that “all slaves are free.” Interestingly, it was not this order that made Texas slaves free. The Emancipation Proclamation, signed on January 1, 1863, granted slaves freedom. However, since there was no internet or social media back then, it took two years and a hand-delivered message for the lives of the African Americans living in that State to be impacted.
View the official orders on the National Archives website.
Did all Slaves Become Free on June 19th?
The Emancipation Proclamation did not grant freedom to all slaves. It only granted freedom to those in certain “designated States,” primarily those states which had succeeded from the United States and were then part of the Confederate States. Slaves living in the border states of Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri were not granted freedom at that time. These states were considered loyal to the Union (aka the United States), and thus the proclamation did not apply to them.
The Thirteenth Amendment – The True End to Slavery
Although the Emancipation Proclamation did not free all slaves, it paved the way for more critical legislation. After the Civil War ended, President Lincoln and his allies began working to enact a Constitutional amendment to abolish slavery once and for all.
The Thirteenth Amendment was ratified on December 6, 1865. The Amendment made slavery illegal in every State and gave Congress the power to enforce that law.
Section 1.
Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
Section 2.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Why is Juneteenth Celebrated?
According to History.com, June 19th was historically celebrated by the freed Texas slaves. The Holiday was then referred to as Jubilee Day (some other sources refer to it as Emancipation Day.) After that, Juneteenth celebrations followed slaves as they migrated to other areas of the United States. In 1979, Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Texas, and since that time, most other states have considered it a day of observance. June 19th has had significance for African Americans for over a century, and many of us were oblivious to that fact until recently.
Should Black People Celebrate Juneteenth?
The decision to celebrate any Holiday is a personal one. The purpose of this article is not to encourage or discourage the celebration of Juneteenth but rather to inform. A person does not have to celebrate a Holiday to recognize its significance in History. Juneteenth may carry significant meaning to the ancestors of those slaves living in Texas when General Order 3 was delivered. However, for most slaves, true freedom did not come through proclamations or amendments. The fight for freedom continued for many years, and many may feel that the fight to be treated as equals continues today.
The article was written using information from the following sources:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Juneteenth
General Order 3 – National Archives
Emancipation Proclamation Transcript – National Archives
https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/amdt13-1/ALDE_00000991/
