Juneteenth: Fact Sheet

Contents

• Introduction
• History
• Legislation
• Sample Congressional Speeches and Recognitions
• Presidential Proclamations and Remarks
• Historical and Cultural Resources

Introduction

Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. It is also known as Emancipation Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, and Black Independence Day. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, TX, and announced the end of the Civil War and the end of slavery. Although the Emancipation Proclamation came 2½ years earlier on January 1, 1863, many slave owners continued to hold their slaves captive after the announcement, so Juneteenth became a symbolic date representing African American freedom.

This fact sheet assists congressional offices with work related to Juneteenth. It contains sample speeches and remarks from the Congressional Record, presidential proclamations and remarks, and selected historical and cultural resources.

History

June 19, 1865, marks the date that Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, TX, and announced the end of both the Civil War and slavery. His announcement, General Order Number 3 reads:

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 personal rights and rights of property, between former masters and slaves and the connection heretofore existing between them, becomes that between employer and hired labor. The Freedmen are advised to remain at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts; and they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.

The 1865 date is largely symbolic. The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln, had legally freed slaves in Texas on January 1, 1863, almost 2½ years earlier. Even after the general order, some slave masters withheld the information from their slaves, holding them as slaves through one more harvest season.

Texans celebrated Juneteenth beginning in 1866, with community-centric events, such as parades, cookouts, prayer gatherings, historical and cultural readings, and musical performances. Over time, communities have developed their own traditions. Some communities purchased land for Juneteenth celebrations, such as Emancipation Park in Houston, TX. As families emigrated from Texas to other parts of the United States, they carried the Juneteenth celebrations with them.

On January 1, 1980, Juneteenth officially became a Texas state holiday. Al Edwards, a freshman state representative, put forward the bill, H.B. 1016, making Texas the first state to grant this emancipation celebration. Since then, 45 other states and the District of Columbia have also commemorated or recognized the day.

Legislation

Although Juneteenth is not a federal holiday, most states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation recognizing it as a holiday or observance.

In recent years, the Senate has passed annual resolutions recognizing June 19 as Juneteenth Independence Day

S.Res. 547 (115^th Cong.)

S.Res. 214 (115^th Cong.)

S.Res. 500 (114^th Cong.)

S.Res. 201 (114^th Cong.)

Similar resolutions have been introduced in the House of Representatives

H.Res. 948 (115^th Cong.)

H.Res. 386 (115^th Cong.)

H.Res. 787 (114^th Cong.)

H.Res. 316 (114^th Cong.)

Sample Congressional Speeches and Recognitions

Members of Congress often make floor statements, issue press releases, or enter Extensions of Remarks into the Congressional Record to recognize federal holidays and observances. The following are some recent examples that may be of assistance in preparing such statements:

Senators Bill Nelson and Cory Booker, "Juneteenth Independence Day," remarks in the Senate, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 164 (June 19, 2018), pS4032-S4033.

Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, "Commemorating Juneteenth," remarks in the House of Representatives, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 162 (June 19, 2018), pp. H5274-H5275.

Representative Adriano Espaillat, "Remembering Juneteenth," Extensions of Remarks, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 163 (June 21, 2017), p. E863.

Representative Brian Babin, "Celebrating Juneteenth 2017," Extensions of Remarks, Congressional Record, daily edition vol. 163 (June 15, 2017), p. E828.

Senator Harry Reid, "Celebrating Juneteenth," remarks in the Senate, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 162 (June 16, 2016), p. S4258.

Representative Jeb Hensarling, "Hensarling Commemorates Juneteenth," press release, June 19, 2015.

Representative Julia Brownley, "Recognizing Ventura County's 24^th Annual Juneteenth Celebration," Extensions of Remarks, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 160 (June 19, 2014), p. E1023.

Presidential Proclamations and Remarks

One of the many uses of a presidential proclamation is to ceremoniously honor a group or call attention to certain issues or events. Some proclamations and remarks commemorating Juneteenth from the Compilation of Presidential Documents include the following:

Statement of the Observance of Juneteenth—President Donald Trump, June 19, 2018

Statement on the Observance of Juneteenth—President Barack Obama, June 19, 2016

Message on the Observance of Juneteenth—President George W. Bush, June 19, 2008

Remarks at a Southwest Voter Registration Education Project Reception in Houston, Texas—President William J. Clinton, June 19, 2000

Other presidential proclamations are available through govinfo, a portal for free public access to official publications from all three branches of the government, maintained by the Government Publishing Office (GPO).

Historical and Cultural Resources

Numerous resources provide information on the history and culture of the holiday. Some of these include the following:

Smithsonian, "Juneteenth: Our Other Independence Day." This blog post includes pictures of Major General George Granger and the house from which he read General Order Number 3.

Library of Congress, "Juneteenth." This blog post includes links to several interviews with former slaves about their memories of gaining their freedom.

Texas State Historical Association, "Juneteenth." A longer narrative of the history of Juneteenth.

National Archives and Records Administration, "The Emancipation Proclamation." The original, handwritten document.

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