150 Years Ago Today, America Got a Second Independence Day

By Tejpaul Bainiwal, a Summer 2015 Leadership Conference Education Fund Intern

Abraham Lincoln delivered the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, but it wasn’t until June 19, 1865 – 150 years ago today – that all slaves were finally free.

On that day, Major General Gordon Granger led Union soldiers into Galveston, Texas, at the end of the war to read General Order Number 3, which began:

The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer.

A common misconception is that the Emancipation Proclamation single-handedly ended slavery throughout the United States, but it had little immediate impact on Texas because there were very few Union troops there to enforce the new Executive Order. For many slaves, freedom didn’t come until two and a half years after President Lincoln’s speech – now celebrated as Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery.

Many different reasons for the delay have been suggested. One such story is that the messenger bearing news of emancipation was murdered on his way to Texas. Other theories include that the news of emancipation was intentionally withheld by slave owners, and that federal troops were waiting for slave owners to secure one last cotton harvest before going to Texas to enforce it. Any combination of these explanations, or none of them, could be true.

Today, most states recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday or state holiday observance through a bill, house resolution, senate resolution, or joint resolution. Washington, D.C., recognizes it through a special city council resolution. See the full list of observances here.