Celebrations broke out that day among the newly freed people. The dream of freedom was finally realized and they are now American citizens. The day was especially gratifying for the thousands of black soldiers who joined the fight to liberate their brothers and sisters. One could only imagine the sense of joy and accomplishment in seeing the hope of your sacrifice of bravery come to fruition. A common thread among black Americans at that time was the belief that none of them were free until all of them were free. Juneteenth was the embodiment of that belief along with the joy of a newly found freedom.

The first of the annual celebrations took place the following year. Barred from using public parks many of the freedmen pooled their money to purchase land where they could celebrate freely. The first of which was Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas. The park is still there today as a historic landmark. Throughout the state freedmen purchased land for Juneteenth celebrations.

The Name Juneteenth The name Juneteenth is a combination of “June” and “nineteenth” and is recognized as an official holiday in the state of Texas and a special day of observance in many other states. The first celebration was in Texas, but today Juneteenth is celebrated all over the United States and the world.

Misconceptions One of the common misconceptions surrounding Juneteenth is the 2-and-a-half-year gap between the Emancipation Proclamation and Juneteenth. Many falsehoods still circulate but the truth is simple – It was the Civil War. It took 2 and a half years’ worth of fighting to reach Galveston going state by state through the south. And as they liberated each state and region more ex-slaves joined the fight. Another misconception was that slaves in Texas didn’t know they were free until Juneteenth; somewhat true but not totally accurate. Galveston was liberated for a few months early in the Civil War but the Confederates recaptured it in the Battle of Galveston. It stayed under Confederate control until Juneteenth. Slaves knew about the war and the Confederates surrender long before Juneteenth. The reading of General Order #3 on June 19, 1865 made it official. Slaves were helpless until Union forces showed up to enforce freedom. Juneteenth was the day that the enforcement began. Juneteenth & Civil War Timeline The Civil War started in April of 1861. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued in September of 1862 and took effect on January 1, 1863. To Southerners, it was nothing more than a piece of paper. It couldn’t be enforced anywhere in the South until the Union Army seized control of that state. May 9, 1865 Robert E. Lee surrendered after the battle of Appomattox and two months later on June 19, or Juneteenth, slavery was abolished in the final Confederate stronghold of Texas.