June 19 Marks Day Slaves Learned of Freedom

June 19, 2023: 158 years ago, on June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived at Galveston, TX, and issued an order declaring that, in keeping with the Emancipation Proclamation, all slaves in Texas were free. Though it would take until the next year for all slaves to finally be freed, June 19th marked an important milestone in the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation nationwide.

The Juneteenth holiday marking this event was first celebrated in 1866, on the first anniversary of the order, and has spread throughout the United States in the years since. It was declared a federal holiday in 2021.[1]

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Scott Rasmussen is founder and president of the Rasmussen Media Group. He is a political analyst, author, public speaker, independent public opinion pollster and columnist for Creators Syndicate. Read Scott Rasmussen's Reports — More Here.