Happy Juneteenth Texas!
When I first heard about Juneteenth, after I moved to Texas, I wondered why would people celebrate being ignorant to the fact that they were freed. It was June 19, 1865, when about 1,800 federal troops led by General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and declared Texas slaves free. This was the last state to be told about the Emancipation Proclamation. In 1979, Texas was the first state to recognize Juneteenth as a holiday.
Who did the Emancipation Proclamation free? No one under Abraham Lincoln’s control. In essence, it was to free slaves in the Confederate states, ONLY. The Union states felt that slavery would end on its own. It is my opinion that the Emancipation Proclamation was created to force states to become a part of the Union. If the state did not become a part of the Union by January 1, 1863, their slaves were to be freed. It has been said that if the states were a part of the Union, more countries would ally with the United States.
Robert E. Lee surrendered April 9, 1865, and this started the march of the Union troops through the Confederate states to let them know they were freed. As the troops advanced more and more into the south, Union states abolished slavery. Texas was the last to be told commemorating June Nineteenth, which was shortened to Juneteenth.
Fun Fact and an Opinion
Juneteenth did not end slavery in the United States, but it was when the last of the slaves were informed. The Emancipation Proclamation was more of a business deal than empathy for the slaves. Abraham Lincoln would not have signed it if he was not trying to make the Union “strongerâ€.
In the end, the Emancipation Proclamation is one of those things where it was meant for one thing but it did so much more. Abraham Lincoln really didn’t free the slaves and yes, Juneteenth is a celebration of the Texas slaves not knowing or you can look at it as when they truly received their independence. There are always two sides to the coin. So will you celebrate?
Citation
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/robert-e-lee-surrenders
https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation
http://www.ushistory.org/us/34a.asp
https://www-history-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.history.com/.amp/news/what-is-juneteenth?usqp=mq331AQA&_js_v=0.1
In the Wind,
-Arnya T.M. Davis
