The History of Juneteenth

June 15, 2009 09:05 pm

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In November 1862 President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring that as of Jan. 1, 1863, all persons held as slaves in states that were in rebellion against the United States would be freed. Since states of the Confederacy did not regard Lincoln as having any authority over them, the Proclamation had little impact on actually freeing slaves. But with the signing of the surrender agreement ending the Civil War in April 1865, Federal troops began implementing the decree.
Gordon Granger was named commander of the Department of Texas on June 10, 1865, and nine days later he arrived in Galveston to assume his duties. Among his first acts was to officially declare that the slavery was abolished, prompting great celebrations among those former slaves who heard Granger’s announcement. Over the next six weeks Granger traveled to the interior of Texas to spread the news of freedom to the state’s 250,000 slaves. Also included in Granger’s announcement was a parole of Confederate soldiers and an annulment of all laws of the Confederate government. He urged the freed slaves to arrange labor contracts for wages with their former owners and to wait for further directions from the newly created Freedmen’s Bureau, which was designed to help them transition from slavery to freedom.
Since the 19th of June was the day that actual freedom came, Texas Blacks have celebrated that date rather than the January 1 date pronounced by Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. The state’s first celebration came in Austin in 1867, and by 1872 it was listed on the calendar of public events in that city. Black groups collected funds and purchased property for Juneteenth celebrations. In Houston, for example, Blacks purchased a 10-acre tract and called it Emancipation Park, which was a common designation for such locations. One of the largest gathering places, comprising 20 acres, was in Limestone County near Lake Mexia. As many as 30,000 celebrants gathered at that location to recall the ending of bondage for American Blacks.
Juneteenth’s popularity declined somewhat in the 1960s when the civil rights movement promoted the concept of integration. But a renewal of interest occurred in the 1970s. In 1979, State Representative Al Edwards introduced a bill making Juneteenth a state holiday, and it was signed into law by Governor Bill Clements. The first state-sponsored celebration was held the following year. As Black Texans have relocated to other states, they have taken Juneteenth with them, and the Smithsonian sponsored a massive Juneteenth celebration in 1991. Juneteenth provides an opportunity for all citizens to recognize a major milestone in the quest for human freedom.
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Dr. Tommy Stringer is executive director of the Navarro College Foundation. He may be reached by e-mail at tommy.stringer@navarrocollege.edu. Want to “Soundoff” on this column? E-mail: soundoff@corsicanadailysun.com