Introduction
Since this blog post coincided with Juneteenth, I thought it would be appropriate to give a little history of what Juneteenth is and how it came about. I thought I knew already, but the more I researched it, the more complex and interesting it became.
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth, observed on June 19th, is the word combination of "June" and "nineteenth". It's a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
June 19, 1865 is when the Union army finally made it to Texas and enforced Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation from January 1, 1863, freeing the last of the slaves. Simple right? Well, not exactly. (More on this below.)
For a detailed history of Juneteenth check out National Geographic's article, Celebrating Juneteenth. But for a quick summary of the highlights see the timeline below.
Timeline
- April 12, 1861 – The Civil War officially begins
- September 22, 1862 – President Lincoln issues the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation (warning the confederate states to stop fighting and rejoin the union or all their slaves would be freed January 1, 1863)
- January 1, 1863 – The final Emancipation Proclamation goes into effect and the slaves in the confederate states are freed. (Since it couldn't be enforced it had no teeth at first. It also excluded slave states under Union control.)
- 1865 – An estimated 250,000 people were enslaved in Texas
- April 9, 1865 – The conclusion of the Civil War commenced, ending on November 6, 1865. It didn’t legally end until August 20, 1866.
- April 14, 1865 – President Lincoln was shot (he died the following morning April 15 1865)
- June 19, 1865 – Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas (with about 2000 soldiers to back him up)
- December 6, 1865 – The 13th Amendment is ratified officially freeing all slaves (and holdouts Delaware and Kentucky were forced to free their slaves)
- January 1, 1866 – Texas has the first observance of Juneteenth, recognizing freedom from slavery in the U.S.
- June 7, 1979 – Texas becomes first state to make Juneteenth a state holiday (all but North Dakota would follow suit in the following decades).
- June, 17 2021 – Juneteenth becomes a National Holiday
Juneteenth Myths
Below are some myths about Juneteenth and the actual facts. Funny how we often find it easier to remember the myths, rather than the truth. It could be because the myths are often more straightforward, without all those complicated details to confuse us.
Myth #1: The Emancipation Proclamation, issued January 1, 1863, freed all the slaves in the U.S.
Fact: It didn't free any slaves at the time of its release. There was a Civil War to win first. And it only applied to the ten confederate states that were still not under Union control on January 1, 1863 (Arkansas, Texas, parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and parts of Virginia). Tennessee, the eleventh confederate state was mostly under Union control by then and exempted. It also didn't apply to the border states with nearly 500,000 slaves (Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware).
Myth #2: President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 but it took 2 ½ years to reach Texas.
Fact: Actually the Emancipation Proclamation was widely covered in the Texas newspapers. The slaves would have surely heard the whites talking about it. Plus they had their own, highly effective, communications network. But everyone knew that there was no one around to enforce it.
Myth #3: The Juneteenth Order (General Order No. 3) released in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, was basically the same as the Emancipation Proclamation, only for Texas.
Fact: Although the Juneteenth Order stated "all slaves are free" it also contained patronizing language intended to appease plantation owners who wanted to keep their labor force. 41 words of the 93 word order urged the former slaves to stay put and continue working, but now for a wage. The typical response was along the lines of "to hell with you".
Myth #4: General Order No. 3 ended slavery in the United States.
Fact: Slavery was abolished by the 13th Amendment to the Constitution on December 6, 1865. General Order No. 3 only covers people in Texas and only served as an announcement that the Emancipation Proclamation would be enforced in Texas. The order was posted in Galveston (not dramatically read out on a balcony) on June 19, 1865. But it took time for the rest of Texas to receive the news via telegraph, newspapers and handbills.
Myth #5: Texas was the last slave-holding state.
Fact: Except for some Parishes in Louisiana, Texas was the last slave-holding state of the Confederacy to free its slaves. But the border states of Delaware and Kentucky didn't free their slaves until the 13th Amendment was ratified on December 6, 1865.
Celebrations and Traditions
Today people celebrate Juneteenth with parties in the park, parades, fireworks, and readings. Also lots of red foods and drinks like smoked barbecued sauced meats, red beans and rice, red velvet cake, red strawberry soda, red hibiscus tea, and red punch.
Some say the red food dates back to some former slaves' African heritage which placed great philosophical and spiritual emphasis on the color red. Possibly symbolizing sacrifice, transition and power.
So show your support by eating or drinking something red today! Or better yet, support a black-owned business.
Additional Resources
Really enjoyed this article because some of the things I thought were true were just myths. I feel I NOW know the true meaning of 6/19. LW
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