Search results
- DictionaryJune·teenth/ˌjo͞onˈtēnTH/
noun
- 1. a holiday celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the US. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on that date in 1865, in the aftermath of the Civil War, enslaved people were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation.
End of slavery
- Juneteenth, holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, observed annually on June 19. (Read Charles Blow’s Britannica essay on the Juneteenth holiday.) What does Juneteenth celebrate? Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, celebrates the end of slavery in the United States.
www.britannica.com › topic › JuneteenthJuneteenth | History, Meaning, Importance, & Facts | Britannica
Juneteenth - What You Need to Know
People also ask
Why is Juneteenth a national holiday?
When is Juneteenth celebrated?
What does Juneteenth mean?
What is Juneteenth & why is it important?
3 days ago · Juneteenth is a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, observed annually on June 19. It became a federal holiday in 2021. Organizations in a number of other countries also use the day to recognize the end of slavery and to celebrate the culture and achievements of African Americans.
- Emancipation Proclamation
Emancipation Proclamation, edict issued by U.S. President...
- Culture
The meaning of the word dog is not inherent in the sounds...
- Poor People's Campaign
Poor People’s Campaign, political campaign that culminated...
- Holiday
holiday, (from “holy day”), originally, a day of dedication...
- What Is The History of Juneteenth
(Read Charles Blow's Britannica essay on the Juneteenth...
- Emancipation Proclamation
- Overview
- What does Juneteenth actually celebrate?
- How is Juneteenth celebrated?
- How did Juneteenth become a federal holiday?
- Is Juneteenth the same as Emancipation Day?
Observed on June 19, the nation’s newest federal holiday commemorates the end of slavery in Texas. Here’s how it came to be celebrated nationwide.
At a gathering to celebrate Juneteenth, a participant waves the Pan-African flag in Galveston, Texas. The holiday commemorates the end of slavery in Texas—two years after the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation freed people who had been enslaved elsewhere in the U.S.
Juneteenth is known to some in the United States as the country’s “second Independence Day.” Observed each year on June 19, the holiday marks the end of slavery in Texas at the end of the Civil War.
For more than 150 years, African American communities across the country have observed this holiday—from social gatherings in Emancipation Parks to church services and other events. But Juneteenth has increasingly been celebrated nationwide; in 2021 it became the first new federal holiday since the establishment of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983. How did that happen? Here’s a look at the history of Juneteenth.
At the stroke of midnight on January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation came into effect and declared enslaved people in the Confederacy free—on the condition that the Union won the war. The proclamation turned the war into a fight for freedom and by the end of the war 200,000 Black soldiers had joined the fight, spreading news of freedom as they fought their way through the South.
(Read about the history of Juneteenth with your kids.)
Since Texas was one of the last strongholds of the South, emancipation would be a long-time coming for enslaved people in the state. Even after the last battle of the Civil War was fought in 1865—a full two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed—it is believed that many enslaved people still did not know they were free. As the story goes, some 250,000 enslaved people only learned of their freedom after Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, and announced that the president had issued a proclamation freeing them.
(Here’s why Juneteenth is a celebration of hope.)
With Granger’s announcement, June 19—which would eventually come to be known as Juneteenth—became a day to celebrate the end of slavery in Texas. As newly freed Texans began moving to neighboring states, Juneteenth celebrations spread across the South and beyond.
Early Juneteenth celebrations included church services, public readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, and social events like rodeos and dances.
(Learn how to cook Juneteenth cookies.)
For decades, many southern Black communities were forced to celebrate Juneteenth on the outskirts of town due to racism and Jim Crow laws. To ensure they had a safe place to gather, Juneteenth groups would often collectively purchase plots of land in the city on which to celebrate. These parks were commonly named Emancipation Parks, many of which still exist today.
In 1980, Texas became the first state to recognize June 19 as a state holiday, which it did with legislation.
Juneteenth gained awareness in recent years as activists have pushed for state and federal recognition. Today, Juneteenth is recognized by nearly every state, and it is a public holiday in more than half of them, meaning that government offices are closed.
Despite the holiday’s resurgence in popularity, Juneteenth is often confused with Emancipation Day, which is annually celebrated on April 16.
Just as Juneteenth originally celebrated freedom in Texas, Emancipation Day specifically marks the day when President Lincoln freed some 3,000 enslaved people in Washington, D.C.—a full eight months before the Emancipation Proclamation and nearly three years before those in Texas would be freed.
Jun 16, 2022 · Juneteenth is an annual celebration that commemorates June 19, 1865, the day many enslaved people in Texas learned they had been freed. This year, Juneteenth falls on Wednesday, June...
Jun 15, 2022 · The History of the Holiday | PBS. Learn About and Celebrate Juneteenth. Published on June 15, 2022|Last updated on August 09, 2023by PBS. Share. Juneteenth celebrations have widely expanded...
News about Juneteenth, Texas, federal holiday
News about Juneteenth, events, celebration
Also in the news
Jun 17, 2022 · Juneteenth 2022 is a federal holiday in the U.S.—but what’s the meaning behind the day off? This is the celebration’s history since it started on June 19,... Juneteenth is officially a ...
- 3 min
Jun 17, 2022 · The colors. The red, white and blue represents the American flag, a reminder that slaves and their descendants were and are Americans. June 19, 1865, represents the day that enslaved...
Jun 9, 2023 · |. June 9, 2023. More than half of states will recognize Juneteenth as an official public holiday in 2023. By Katherine Schaeffer. The newest federal holiday, Juneteenth National Independence Day, celebrates the end of slavery in the United States.
