Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It is celebrated on June 19th every year to commemorate the day when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to deliver the news that the Civil War had ended and that all enslaved people in Texas were now free.

The end of slavery in the United States was a long and difficult process. The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared that all enslaved people in the Confederate states “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” However, the Proclamation did not immediately end slavery. It applied only to states that were in rebellion against the United States and did not include states like Texas, where the Union army did not have a strong presence.

It was not until June 19, 1865, when General Gordon Granger and his Union army arrived in Galveston, Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, that slavery officially came to an end in Texas. This event marked the end of slavery in the United States and the day has since been celebrated as a day of freedom and liberation.

Juneteenth is an important day in American history, as it marks the end of slavery, the beginning of freedom and a new era of equality. It is a day to remember the past, celebrate the present, and look forward to the future. It is a day to come together as a community to commemorate the end of slavery and to reflect on the ongoing struggle for human rights.

On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden made Juneteenth the United States’ 12th Federal Holiday, which ensures the history and significance of this day is not forgotten and that all Americans can come together to celebrate the beginning of a new era of freedom and equality.re