Juneteenth: Fact Sheet
June 14, 2022
Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. It is also known as
Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, and Black
Erin M. Smith
Independence Day. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in
Reference and Instruction
Galveston, TX, and announced the end of the civil war and the end of slavery. Although
Librarian
the Emancipation Proclamation came 2½ years earlier on January 1, 1863, many

enslavers continued to hold enslaved Black people captive after the announcement, and

Juneteenth became a symbolic date representing African-American freedom.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021. All 50 states and the District of Columbia recognize
Juneteenth as a holiday or observance, and at least 18 states have enacted laws to observe the holiday as a paid
state holiday.
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.

Congressional Research Service

Juneteenth: Fact Sheet

Introduction
Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. It is also known as Emancipation
Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee 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 enslavers continued to hold enslaved Black people 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 as follows:
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 enslaved people,
holding them enslaved 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, Texas. As families emigrated
from Texas to other parts of the United States, they carried 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, the federal government, all 50 states, and the District of
Columbia have also commemorated or recognized the day.
Legislation
The first known official movement to make Juneteenth a federal holiday began in 1994,1 and the
first congressional resolution recognizing Juneteenth Independence Day was introduced in the

1 National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, History of the Modern Juneteenth Movement, http://pajuneteenth.org/
national-juneteenth-observance-foundation-njof/.
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Juneteenth: Fact Sheet

105th Congress in 1997.2 The Senate and House of Representatives have since introduced
resolutions recognizing Juneteenth annually.
Recent Senate resolutions:
S.Res. 269 (117th Congress)
S.Res. 253 (116th Congress)
S.Res. 547 (115th Congress)
S.Res. 214 (115th Congress)
S.Res. 500 (114th Congress)
House of Representatives resolutions:
H.Res. 480 (117th Congress)
H.Res. 450 (116th Congress)
H.Res. 948 (115th Congress)
H.Res. 386 (115th Congress)
H.Res. 787 (114th Congress)
Federal Holiday Legislation
116th Congress
H.Res. 1001, to recognize June 19 as Juneteenth Independence Day, was introduced on June 15,
2020.3 The resolution garnered 214 co-sponsors, and it led to the introduction of the first
Juneteenth National Independence Day Act (H.R. 7232) on June 18, 2020. A subsequent Senate
bill (S. 4019) was introduced on June 22, 2020. Neither bill was considered for a vote.
117th Congress
On February 25, 2021, H.R. 1320 and S. 475 were both introduced to establish Juneteenth as a
federal holiday. S. 475 passed the Senate by unanimous consent on June 15, 2021, and it passed
the House by a vote of 415-14 on June 16, 2021. The bill was signed into law on June 17, 2021,4
and Juneteenth became the 12th federal holiday. Juneteenth National Independence Day is the first
holiday to be added to the list of federal holidays since the recognition of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr’s birthday in 1983.
State Legislation
In addition to the federal government recognizing Juneteenth as a federal holiday, all states and
the District of Columbia have passed legislation recognizing it as a holiday or observance. At
least 18 states have made the observance an official paid holiday.

2 S.J.Res. 11.
3 House Rule XII, Clause 5 prohibits date-specific commemorative legislation, and the passage of H.Res. 1001 required
waiving House Rule XII by unanimous consent.
4 P.L. 117-17, June 17, 2021; 5 U.S.C. §6103(a).
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Table 1. States That Commemorate or Observe Juneteenth
Year of
State
Recognition
Citation
Alabama
2011
2011 Ala. Adv. Legis. Serv. 398 (LexisNexis)
Alaska
2001
Alaska Stat. §44.12.090 (2001)
Arizona
2016
Ariz. Rev. Stat. §1-315 (LexisNexis 2016)
Arkansas
2005
Ark. Code Ann. §1-5-114 (2005)
California
2003
Cal. Gov’t Code §6719 (Deering 2003)
Colorado
2004
H.J.Res. 04-1027, 64th Gen. Assemb., 2nd Reg. Sess.
(Co. 2004)
Connecticut
2003
Conn. Gen. Stat. §10-29a(a)(48) (2003)
Delaware
2000
Del. Code Ann. tit. 1, §604 (2000)
District of Columbia
2003
Res. 160, 15th Counsel, 2003 D.C.
Florida
1991
Fla. Stat. §683.21(1991)
Georgia
2011
S.Res. 164, 151st Gen. Assemb., Reg. Sess (Ga. 1991)
Hawaii
2021
Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. §8-32
Idaho
2001
S.Con.Res. 101, 56th Leg., Reg. Sess. (Idaho 2001)
Illinois
2003
5 Ill. Comp. Stat. 490/63 (2003)
Indiana
2010
H.Con.Res. 38, 116th Gen. Assemb., 2d Reg. Sess. (Ind. 2010)
Iowa
2002
Iowa Code §1C.14 (2002)
Kansas
2007
S.Res. 1860, 82nd Leg., Reg. Sess. (Kan. 2007)
Kentucky
2005
Ky. Rev. Stat. §2.147 (LexisNexis 2005)
Louisiana
2003
La. Stat. Ann. §1:58:2 (2003)
Maine
2011
Me. Stat. tit. 1, §150-H (2011)
Maryland
2014
Md. Code Ann., Gen. Prov. §7-411 (LexisNexis 2014)
Massachusetts
2007
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 6, §15BBBBB (2007)
Michigan
2005
Mich. Comp. Laws §435.361 (2005)
Minnesota
1996
Minn. Stat. §10.55 (1996)
Mississippi
2010
S.Con.Res. 605, 2010 Leg., Reg. Sess. (Miss. 2010)
Missouri
2003
Mo. Rev. Stat. §9.161 (2003)
Montana
2017
Mont. Code Ann. §1-1-231 (2017)
Nebraska
2009
Leg.Res. 75, 101st Leg., Reg. Sess. (Neb. 2009)
Nevada
2011
Nev. Rev. Stat. §236.033 (2011)
New Hampshire
2019
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §14:13-z (LexisNexis 2019)
New Jersey
2004
N.J. Rev. Stat. §36:2-80 (2004)
New Mexico
2006
N.M. Stat. Ann. §12-5-14 (2006)
New York
2004
N.Y. Exec. Law §168-a(3) (LexisNexis 2004)
North Carolina
2007
2007 N.C. Sess. Laws 450
North Dakota
2021
S.B. 2232, 67th Leg. Assemb., Reg. Sess. (N.D. 2021)
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Year of
State
Recognition
Citation
Ohio
2006
Ohio Rev. Code Ann. §5.2234 (LexisNexis 2006)
Oklahoma
1994
Okla. Stat. tit. 25, §82.4 (1994)
Oregon
2001
S.J.Res. 31, 71st Leg. Assemb. (Or. 2001)
Pennsylvania
2019
2019 Pa. ALS 9
Rhode Island
2012
S.B. 2262, 2011-2012 Leg. Sess. (R.I. 2011)
South Carolina
2008
S.C. Code Ann. §53-3-85 (2008)
South Dakota
2022
S.D. Codified Law §1-5-1 (2022)
Tennessee
2007
2007 Bill Text TN H.J.R. 170
Texas
1980
Tex. Gov’t Code Ann. §662.003 (LexisNexis 1980)
Utah
2016
Utah Code Ann. §63G-1-401(1)(g) (LexisNexis 2016)
Vermont
2007
Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 1, §375 (2007)
Virginia
2007
H.Res. 56, 2007 Sess. (Va. 2007)
Washington
2007
Wash. Rev. Code §1.16.050(7)(l) (2007)
West Virginia
2008
H.Res. 19, 78th Leg., 2d Sess. (W. Va. 2008)
Wisconsin
2009
Wis. Stat. §995.20 (2009)
Wyoming
2003
Wyo. Stat. Ann. §8-4-107 (2003)
Source: Table compiled by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).
Notes: This table includes the first instance of a state’s recognition of Juneteenth or the first legislation that
established Juneteenth as a state holiday. It excludes legislation adopted by states after the initial observation
year. For example, Kansas adopted multiple resolutions, such as S.Res. 1866 (2007), S.Res. 1888 (2009), S.Res.
1865 (2011), and S.Res. 1754 (2015), subsequent to the original commemoration.
Bolded legislation citations denote that the legislation established Juneteenth as a state holiday. This includes days
of observance and does not necessarily mean that they are legal holidays. Nonbolded legislation citations are
commemorations or recognitions of the day’s significance.
States without links do not have publicly available versions of the bill or resolution online. Copies can be found
on Lexis+. Congressional clients also may request copies from CRS.
Table 2. States Where Juneteenth is Observed as a Permanent Paid State Holiday
Year of First
State
Observance
Citation
Colorado
2022
Colo. Rev. Stat §24-11-101 (2022)
Connecticut
2023
Conn. Gen. Stat. §10-29a (2022)
Delaware
2021
Del. Code Ann. tit. 1, §501 (2022)
Georgia
2022
Ga. Code Ann. §1-4-1 (2022)
Illinoisa
2021
5 Ill. Comp. Stat. 490/63 (2022)
Louisiana
2021
La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §1:55.1 (2022)
Maine
2022
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, §59 (2022)
Massachusetts
2021
Mass. Ann. Laws ch. 6, §15BBBBB (2022)
Maryland
2022
Md. Ann. Code Art. GP, §1-111 (West 2022)
Nebraska
2022
Neb. Rev. Stat. Ann. §62-301 (2022)
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Juneteenth: Fact Sheet

Year of First
State
Observance
Citation
New Jersey
2021
N.J. Stat. §11A:6-24.1 (2022)
New York
2021
N.Y. Gen. Constr. Law §24 (Consol. 2022)
Ohio
2021
Ohio Rev. Code Ann. §1.14 (LexisNexis 2022)
Oregon
2022
Or. Rev. Stat. Ann. §187.010 (2022)
South Dakota
2022
S.D. Codified Laws §1-5-1 (2022) Effective July 1, 2022
Texas
1980
Tex. Gov’t Code §662.003 (LexisNexis 2022)
Virginia
2020
Va. Code Ann. §2.2-3300 (2022)
Washington
2022
Wash. Rev. Code Ann. §1.16.050 (2022)
Source: Table compiled by CRS.
a. If June 19 falls on a weekend, Illinois does not make the prior Friday or following Monday a paid holiday.
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:
Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, “Celebrating Juneteenth,” remarks in the House,
Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 167 (June 14, 2021), pp. H2728-H2736.
Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, “The 2020 Observance of the Historical Significance of
Juneteenth Independence Day,” Extension of Remarks, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol.
166 (June 30, 2020), pp. E590-E591.
Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, “Juneteenth,” remarks in the Senate, Congressional Record, daily
edition, vol. 166 (June 18, 2020), pp. S3098-S3099.
Representative Antonio Delgado, “Recognizing Juneteenth,” Extensions of Remarks,
Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 165 (June 19, 2019), p. E769.
Senators Bill Nelson and Cory Booker, “Juneteenth Independence Day,” remarks in the Senate,
Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 164 (June 19, 2018), pp. S4032-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 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 24th Annual Juneteenth
Celebration,” Extensions of Remarks, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 160 (June 19,
2014), p. E1023.
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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:
Statements and Messages by the President—Joseph R. Biden Jr. (2021- )
Statements and Messages by the President—Donald J. Trump (2018- 2021)
Statements and Messages by the President—Barack H. Obama (2010-2017)
Statements and Messages by the President—George W. Bush (2002-2009)
Historical and Cultural Resources
Numerous resources provide information on the history and culture of the holiday, including the
following:
National Museum of African American History & Culture, “The Historical Legacy of
Juneteenth.” This blog post provides a brief history of Juneteenth.
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 No 3.
Library of Congress, “The Birth of Juneteenth; Voices of the Enslaved.” This blog post includes
links to several interviews with former enslaved about their memories of gaining their freedom.
Library of Congress, “Voices Remembering Slavery: Freed People Tell Their Stories.” This
collection houses oral histories of 23 formerly enslaved recorded between 1932 and 1975.
Texas State Historical Association, “Juneteenth.” A longer narrative of the history of Juneteenth.
National Archives and Records Administration, “National Archives Safeguards Original
‘Juneteenth’ General Order.” Short blog post that includes an image of handwritten General Order
No. 3.
National Archives and Records Administration, “The Emancipation Proclamation.” The original,
handwritten document.
Washington Post, “What is Juneteenth? Emancipation history with photos.” An interactive news
story highlighting the history of Juneteenth.
New York Times, “So You Want to Learn About Juneteenth?” A primer on celebrating Juneteenth.
New York Times, “Hot Links and Red Drinks: The Rich Food Tradition of Juneteenth.”
Related CRS Report
CRS Report R43539, Commemorations in Congress: Options for Honoring Individuals, Groups,
and Events, coordinated by Jacob R. Straus.

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Author Information

Erin M. Smith

Reference and Instruction Librarian

Acknowledgments
This fact sheet was originally authored by Molly Higgins, former Reference and Data Services Librarian.

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and
under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not
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