Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, takes place annually on June 19. The holiday is a combination of the words “June” and “nineteenth.”

Juneteenth is a holiday that celebrates the freedom of the slaves in the United States in 1865. 

History of Juneteenth

September 22, 1862. 

 The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Abraham Lincoln 

January 1, 1863, 

The order went into effect. However, slaves were not set free in the Confederacy. 

June 18, 1865 

The Union army arrived in Galveston, Texas. 

June 19th,1865:

General Gordon Granger announced that the slaves in Texas were free by order of the president of the United States.

The first Juneteenth celebration took place the very next year, and the annual celebration began to spread throughout Texas and the surrounding states. 

In 1980 Juneteenth 

became an official state holiday and tradition in Texas. 

In 2021 it became a national holiday