Commemorated Annually on June 19th, Junetheenth is the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery in the U.S. The emancipation proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on Sep 22, 1862, announced "That on the 1st day of January, A.D. 1863, All persons held as slaves within any state... in rebellion against the U.S. shall be the, thenceforward abd forever free." However, it would take the civil war and passage of the 13th Amendment to the consitution to end the brutal institution of African American Slavery.
After the Civil war ended in April 1865 most slaves in Texas were still unaware of their freedom. This began to change when union troops arrived in Galveston. Maj Gen. Gordon Granger, commanding officer, district of Texas, from his headquarters in the Osterman building (Strand and 22nd st.), Read 'General Order No. 3' on June 19, 1865. The order stated "The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a proclamation from the executive of the United States, all slave are free. This involves and absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves." with this notice, reconstruction era Texas began. Freed African American observed "Emancipation Day", as it was first known, as early as 1866 in Galveston. As community gatherings grew across Texas, celebrations included parades, prayer, singing, and reading of the proclamation. In the mid-20th century, community celebrations gave way to the more private commemorations. A re-emergence of public observance help Juneteenth become a state holiday in 1979. Initially observed in Texas, this landmar event's legacy is evident today by worldwide commemorations that celebrate freedom and the triumph of the human spirit. Note: this information was found online from an unknown source so credit cannot be given.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorOn my Bike and My grid riding both until the wheels fall off. Archives
February 2023
Categories |