What is juneteenth. Juneteenth could not be coming at a more fitting time. Juneteenth short for june nineteenth marks the day when federal troops arrived in galveston texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The history behind juneteenth or june 19 is much. Juneteenth is one of americas oldest holidays and is observed each year on june 19 to mark the official end of slavery in the us.
Juneteenth is a commemoration of slavery ending in the united states. 1 1863 a quarter million. Dating back to 1865 it was on june 19th that the union soldiers led by major general gordon granger landed at galveston texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. A look at the history behind juneteenth and what you need to know about the day that commemorates the end of slavery in the united states.
What is juneteenth and why do we celebrate it. When the 13 original colonies declared their independence from great britain on july 4 1776 black americans remained in chains. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the united states. A look back at the history of the us holiday whoopi goldberg explains that even though abraham lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation on jan.