Juneteenth
On June 19, 1865, US General Gordon Granger and a force of Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, TX. Here he read to the people of Galveston General Orders №3 — “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with the proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” Juneteenth, short for June 19, is the oldest known celebration commemorating that specific moment when the last remaining slaves learned they were free. It also became an official federal holiday in 2021. And while reflecting on the significance of Juneteenth, I found it equally important to remind ourselves of the historical context leading up to that day and the subsequent events that followed.
President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Declaration on January 1, 1863, so General Granger’s arrival to Galveston in 1865 may cause some to ask what took so long for the news of freedom to arrive? With this in mind, it is vital to remember that in 1863 a war still had to be won. The country was in year two of the Civil War and the war would rage on for two more years. And the lasting impact of the Emancipation Declaration would hinge on the Union prevailing. Thankfully, the closing chapters of the war came to be on April 9, 1865.
On that day, Union forces, led by General Ulysses S. Grant, defeated the Confederates, led by General Robert E. Lee, at The Battle of Appomattox. The Union victory in Virginia all but signified the defeat of the Confederacy. Hearing of General Lee’s surrender, General Johnston, leader of the second-largest Confederate army, some 90,000 strong, surrendered to General William Sherman in Tennessee on April 26, 1865. On May 26, 1865, the Confederacy’s Trans-Mississippi Army surrendered to General Grant. Finally, four days after Juneteenth, the last Confederate general, General Stand Watie — a Cherokee Indian, surrendered at Doaksville. In all, more than 620,000 Americans died in this conflict, more than any war in US history.
Amongst those who died during this time was the central figure of this era — President Lincoln. He never saw the end of the war. He was assassinated on April 14, 1865, and died the following day. President Lincoln’s leadership, the conclusion of the war, and the enactment of The Emancipation Proclamation would pave the road for what became known as the Reconstruction Amendments. The first of the three is the Thirteenth Amendment of the US Constitution — which abolishes slavery in the Union. The second was the Fourteenth Amendment — which addresses citizenship rights and equal protection under the law. And the final was the Fifteenth Amendment — which prohibited federal and state governments from denying a citizen’s right to vote based on “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” These amendments to the US Constitution were adopted between 1865–1870 and would formally abolish slavery in the United States.
Juneteenth is a holiday worth observing. In observing Juneteenth, we must also remember that the abolition of slavery eventually came to fruition because of the ideals embedded at our nation’s founding — “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”. And that is also worth remembering and defending.
And if there’s one last observation to take, one final lesson to learn, it is that we are all Americans. This is embodied by two final stories I want to share. The first was in the words of General Ulysses S. Grant when he and General Robert E. Lee spoke to complete a formal surrender. When asked about the terms of surrender General Grant “hurriedly wrote them out. All officers and men were to be pardoned, and they would be sent home with their private property–most important, the horses, which could be used for a late spring planting. Officers would keep their side arms, and Lee’s starving men would be given Union rations.” With the surrender, the General went on to say, “The war is over — the rebels are our countrymen again.”
The final one is in the story of the Juneteenth flag. While the star on the flag symbolizes Texas and the nova around the start represents a new birth, I want to focus on the colors. The colors are red, white, and blue the — same as those on the American flag. And the colors of the Juneteenth flag are a reminder that those who were slaves and their descendants are Americans. So as we head into the Juneteenth weekend, my hope is we are that we celebrate the trials and victories of our nation, but most importantly, no matter the discord, remember that we are all Americans.
And by virtue of the power, and for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons. — President Abraham Lincoln, Emancipation Proclamation
