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Varun Sundar

Layman

AP US History

February 7, 2019

Juneteenth and African American Celebration of Emancipation

Juneteenth is a very important holiday in American History. It is the celebration that

remembers the day that slavery was ended in the United States ("History of Juneteenth").

Although Juneteenth is a very important holiday, it has, to an extent, declined in its celebration

over time. In essence, the holiday is a celebration of the emancipation of slaves; it would be

nothing without the African Americans who were forced to dedicate all their time and energy to

tough labor. To many though, slavery is just a thing of the past and it is something that has been

somewhat forgotten over history. This can attribute to the decline in Juneteenth celebrations.

Nevertheless, it is still important to know about Juneteenth and it’s origins.

Juneteenth revolves around slavery. Slaves were not originally from America. Slaves

were brought to the New World from mainly Africa without their consent through the middle

passage, a sea route that went through the Atlantic ocean (Livingston). The travel to the New

World was terrible and the decades that were to come were even worse for the slaves

(Livingston). Slaves would have a huge role in the emerging New World, but this role was

miserable. They were treated as property and had no rights. Eventually, people would begin to

realize the cruelness of the institution of slavery and the support for anti-slavery would grow

immensely over time. That support would ultimately cause distress in the nation and would pit

the two regions of the country, the North and the South, against each other. The rivalry would

grow and lead to a Civil War. Although the Civil War was fought because Lincoln wanted to
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preserve the Union, this cause stems from slavery (“Slavery: Cause and Catalyst”). The reason

southern states split and formed the Confederacy is because they disagreed with the northern

state's view on slavery, which was that slavery should not expand to new territories and that the

institution of slavery is inhumane (“Slavery: Cause and Catalyst”). The south believed slavery to

be a just institute that was greatly beneficial. The war would lead Lincoln to make tough

decisions to ensure that the fighting would be suppressed and the nation would come together

again (“Slavery: Cause and Catalyst”). One of these decisions was the issuing of the

Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.

Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation as a supposed military advance (Lincoln).

Little did he know that this proclamation would be one of the most important events in American

History. The effects that it had are everlasting and it would drastically change America and the

lives of all African Americans. The proclamation states:

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 (Lincoln).

The proclamation freed all slaves in states that were against the Union cause; this proclamation

was the reason that Juneteenth is able to be celebrated (Lincoln). Without Lincoln issuing the

proclamation, the slaves would not have been freed at that time and things would be a lot

different. The issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation was a key part of the Civil War. Both

the Union and Confederate armies had thought the war would be short, but it ended up being

very long (“The Emancipation Proclamation”). Lincoln knew that fighting was not going to be
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the only part of the war and that other actions were a necessity (“The Emancipation

Proclamation”). The Emancipation Proclamation prompted some states to rejoin the Union, as

they didn't want to lose the rights to their slaves, but most states stayed as part of the

Confederacy, meaning all the slaves in those areas would be free (“The Emancipation

Proclamation”). Although Lincoln claims that the Emancipation Proclamation was a war effort, it

is evident that he issued the proclamation for other reasons as well. One of those reasons may

have included the growing idea that slavery is unjust and unfair (“The Emancipation

Proclamation”). Lincoln is also on the Northern Union side, one filled with abolitionists and

radical Republicans, both of whom believed slavery to be immoral (“The Emancipation

Proclamation”). They easily could have influenced Lincoln's actions.

There were mixed reactions towards the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation. The

North was home to many of the abolitionists and radical Republicans (Striner). When Lincoln

issued the proclamation, both groups were extremely happy (Striner). Frederick Douglass, one of

the most prominent abolitionists, even said that the event was the greatest in the nation's history

(Striner). Obviously, not everyone in the North had those opinions; there were still northerners

who hated blacks, and the proclamation was infuriating to them (Striner). The general consensus

of the North was that the proclamation was a positive event. Southerners had the opposite

reaction to the Emancipation Proclamation than the abolitionists and radical Republicans of the

North had (Striner). Since they were the biggest slave owners of the country, the proclamation

would affect them the most and not in a good way (Striner). Slaves were big part of the Southern

lifestyle, and freeing them would change everything. The Emancipation proclamation garnered a

negative view from the south. The blacks on the other hand were obviously jubilant when it
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came to the Emancipation Proclamation; they finally had a chance at freedom and that itself was

enormous (Striner). The opportunities were endless and

The Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1863 in Virginia. It was giant news for the

time. The problem is that back then, news travelled very slowly from area to area (Prather).

There was no modern day technology like the internet, phones, or advanced transportation that

could have gotten the news to spread quickly and because of this, news about the proclamation

got to southern states like Texas very late (Prather). To be specific, the news of the emancipation

of all slaves reached Texas two years after the original proclamation was issued, on June 19th,

hence the name of the holiday. (Prather). That is significant because that meant slaves were

under forced labor for two years when in reality they should have been free. It proves as to why

Juneteenth was and is such a big deal to former slaves and their descendants. When General

Granger came to Galveston Texas to convey the message of emancipation, the words were very

memorable to some, especially the slaves. The message can be seen here:

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 rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the Connection

heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer. 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 that they will not

be supported idleness, either there or elsewhere (“Juneteenth”).

The news was a big moment for slaves, as they would finally be free (“Juneteenth”). All the

hard, forced work was over with and African-American had a felt as if they were resurrected and

living new lives because of how big the change was.

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When it was first recognized as a national holiday, Juneteenth was very popular, as the

meaning behind it was fresh in the minds of the people celebrating the holiday (“History of

Modern Juneteenth…”). Slavery was a tough time and the freedom meant it was time to rejoice.

Since then, the spirit of Juneteenth has wavered off a bit, as the descendants of those former

slaves have somewhat forgotten the inhumane institution of slavery and the importance behind it

(“History of Modern Juneteenth…”). Even though less people celebrate the holiday now than in

the past, the people who do celebrate truly take the holiday to heart and treat it like any other

major holiday, sometimes with more importance. There are many different ways to celebrate

Juneteenth, but the main focus of all of them is to commemorate those former slaves and to

remember the day that the slaves were freed. A popular way to celebrate is to gather friends and

family, have a cookout, and make traditional foods (Nash). Foods like watermelon and red soda

are usually available at these celebrations, as they represent black history and signify the

evolution of African Americans (Nash). Music is a key part of many of the Juneteenth

celebrations (Chase). In Houston in particular, there is a blues festival that many artists try hard

to perform in because of its popularity and importance (Chase). The biggest celebration of

Juneteenth is undoubtedly held in Texas (Chase). Not everyone in Texas was happy about

emancipation back when it happened, but culture changed overtime and Juneteenth is now

celebrated by many people in Texas (Chase). Many activities were held in Texas, as noted by
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this flyer from 1947 for Juneteenth, which highlights fun rides, singing, fireworks, and more

things. The flyer is shown below (“Juneteenth Advertisement”).

Texas was the first state to recognize Juneteenth as a holiday, and it makes sense, as the that is

the location of the first celebration and where the news was brought to (Chase). Even though the

Emancipation Proclamation was issued in the United States during the Civil War, the celebration

of Juneteenth is not exclusive just to America (“History of Juneteenth”). In fact, countries like

Nigeria, Japan, and Canada have been involved in some ways with Juneteenth (“History of

Juneteenth”). This proves to show that Juneteenth is in fact a respectable and important holiday,

even worldwide.
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The celebration of Juneteenth has success over time, but it has also seen its fair share of

failure. Juneteenth was celebrated privately by the blacks under their own organization until

1980. Texas recognized it as a state holiday in 1980 and after they recognized it, many other

states followed. Today, Juneteenth is recognized as a state holiday in 45 American states

(“History of Modern Juneteenth”). During the 1960s, the biggest thing happening at the time was

the Civil Rights movement (Prather). African Americans were focused on fighting for equality in

jobs, education, and housing (Prather). They did not think about celebrating Juneteenth because

at the moment, it did not even feel as if they were free because of the racial segregation and other

factors. This caused the biggest dip of celebration of Juneteenth over history (Prather). Since

then, Juneteenth has slowly been growing in celebration, but it is still nowhere close to what it

used to be from before the Civil Rights movement (Prather). People have less demands at hand

and thus more time for things. Social media is a big influencer in the way that it can get

news/information to spread easily. Juneteenth has somewhat benefitted from that. To exemplify

that small growth since the 1960s, as of 2017, 45 states and the District of Columbia have passed

legislation to officially recognize Juneteenth (“History of Modern Juneteenth”). The annual

Congressional Juneteenth Reception, hosted by members of Congress at the U.S. Capitol, was

also established as a part of the Washington Juneteenth National Holiday Observance (“History

of Modern Juneteenth”). Juneteenth has a special significance to African-Americans. Everybody

knows about Independence Day, which is celebrated on July 4th in memory of the U.S.

becoming an independent nation. What many do not know is that there is a second independence

day for some Americans, and that day is Juneteenth (“History of Juneteenth”). When the U.S. got

its independence, there were still slaves, and they were not independent by any means (“History
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of Juneteenth”). Juneteenth signifies the true "independence" for some people and that is why it

is an important day.

The Celebration of Juneteenth has been somewhat big, but many believe it should be

much bigger. Throughout the years there have been numerous rallies in support of Juneteenth in

order to raise awareness so that the celebration will get more popularity (“History of Modern

Juneteenth”). The most significant rally was in June of 2000, when a sizeable group of people

gathered together and rallied for national recognition of the celebration (“History of Modern

Juneteenth”). Throughout history, there have been many significant dates throughout the history

of Juneteenth's creation that were like the rally mentioned before. The first date is January 1st,

1863, and that is when Lincoln issued the proclamation that emancipated all slaves (Nash). On

June 19th, 1865, that news of the proclamation was first announced in Texas, causing an eruption

of joy within the black community (Nash). On January 1st, 1980, Juneteenth was finally

recognized as a holiday by a state, and that state happened to be Texas (Nash). In 1996, the first

Juneteenth organization was created (Nash). Around the time of the Juneteenth Holiday, the

spirit around African-American history grows (Chase). In San Antonio and many other parts of

Texas, the leading state in Juneteenth celebration, the city does a lot to show their support

(Chase). In museums around Texas, black-made art and private collections of black art were

highly promoted around Juneteenth (Chase). The celebration of Juneteenth was actually

profitable to some people. People sometimes take advantage of the holiday and the many events

that come with it. For example, white businessmen would purposely place ads pertaining

Juneteenth in black newspapers, causing increase in recognition and support of the celebration

and subsequently gaining money for them (Chase). In 1945, about $150,000 from Juneteenth

supporters was earned by businesses (Chase). It is sad to see how people can take advantage of a
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holiday like this when the only thing they should be doing is respecting the holiday and its

importance and rich history.

(“History of Modern Juneteenth”) → As a result of Juneteenth, many organization

have been formed. These organizations are held in good reason, that reason being to bring

awareness to the holiday and to simply help people out (“History of Modern Juneteenth”).

The National Juneteenth Observance Foundation is a organization that aims at making

Juneteenth an official national holiday on June 19th all across America (“History of Modern

Juneteenth”). They want to promote initiatives that help out families in need and better their

lives for the future (“History of Modern Juneteenth”). They also want to show the country

that freedom should be celebrated and cherished by all. The group believes, like some other

Americans, that Juneteenth is an Independence day along with the 4th of July. Since the day

Juneteenth was first celebrated, many organizations have been made that raise awareness for

the celebration (“History of Modern Juneteenth”). The leaders of these organizations have

made it a big goal of theirs to make Juneteenth a national holiday instead of just a holiday

celebrated by certain states.

Juneteenth is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of slaves. It is a very important

holiday, but for some reason, it does not get the recognition it deserves. When it was first

celebrated and for a long period after that, Juneteenth was celebrated with lots of passion and

importance. Since then, the holiday’s celebration has gone down immensely. A majority of

people do not even know what Juneteenth is nowadays, even when the holiday is as important as

some of the other ones people celebrate. That can somewhat be attributed to the fact that people
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don’t take slavery as personally as in the past. People have ‘forgotten’ what slavery was like for

their ancestors and as a result they don’t really see a need to celebrate Juneteenth. Understanding

the history behind Juneteenth can be of great help, as it gives a new perception on what the

holiday really is about. More people definitely need to be aware about Juneteenth and one way to

do that very quickly is by making a public announcement of the holiday becoming a national

holiday. That is what the Juneteenth organizations are pushing for, and it makes sense, as

Juneteenth is such an important cause.

Works Cited

Primary Sources
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"The Emancipation Proclamation." National Archives,

www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation. Accessed 21

Dec. 2018.

"Juneteenth." Houston Tri-weekly Telegraphh [Houston], 23 June 1865.

Juneteenth Advertisement. Dallas News, dallasnews.imgix.net/1497478845-Juneteenth-

1945-ad.png?bg=fff&auto=format&q=40&or=0&w=400. Accessed 7 Feb. 2019.

Lincoln, Abraham. "Transcript of the Proclamation." 1 Jan. 1863. National Archives,

www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-

proclamation/transcript.html. Accessed 20 Dec. 2018.

Livingston, Robert. "The Middle Passage." Gilder Lehrman, 1749,

www.gilderlehrman.org/content/middle-passage-1749. Accessed 20 Dec. 2018.

Secondary Sources

Chase, Henry. "Juneteenth in Texas." American Visions, vol. 12, no. 3, June 1997, p. 44.

EBSCOhost, web.a.ebscohost.com. Accessed 9 Dec. 2018.

"History of Juneteenth." Juneteenth, www.juneteenth.com/history.htm. Accessed 20 Dec.

2018.

"History of the Modern Juneteenth Movement." National Juneteenth Observance

Foundation, nationaljuneteenth.com/Juneteenth_Movement.html. Accessed 20 Dec.

2018.

Nash, Jonell. "Celebrate Juneteenth." Essence, vol. 31, no. 2, June 2000, pp. 125-28.

EBSCOhost, web.a.ebscohost.com. Accessed 9 Dec. 2018.

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Prather, Patricia Smith. "Juneteenth." Cobblestone, vol. 18, no. 3, Mar. 1997, p. 17.

EBSCOhost, web.a.ebscohost.com. Accessed 9 Dec. 2018.

Slavery: Cause and Catalyst of the Civil War. U.S. Department of the Interior National

Park Service, www.nps.gov/shil/learn/historyculture/upload/SLAVERY-

BROCHURE.pdf.

Striner, Richard. "Hurrah for Old Abe." New York Times, 29 Jan. 2013,

opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/hurrah-for-old-abe/.

Bibliography
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Blanchard, Rufus. "Upon His Printed Broadside of the Emancipation Proclamation."

1863. Digital History,

www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=419. Accessed 9 Dec.

2018. Letter.

Chase, Henry. "Juneteenth in Texas." American Visions, vol. 12, no. 3, June 1997, p. 44.

EBSCOhost, web.a.ebscohost.com. Accessed 9 Dec. 2018.

"The Emancipation Proclamation." National Archives,

www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation. Accessed 21

Dec. 2018.

"History of Juneteenth." Juneteenth, www.juneteenth.com/history.htm. Accessed 20 Dec.

2018.

"History of the Modern Juneteenth Movement." National Juneteenth Observance

Foundation, nationaljuneteenth.com/Juneteenth_Movement.html. Accessed 20 Dec.

2018.

"Juneteenth." Houston Tri-weekly Telegraphh [Houston], 23 June 1865.

Juneteenth Advertisement. Dallas News, dallasnews.imgix.net/1497478845-Juneteenth-

1945-ad.png?bg=fff&auto=format&q=40&or=0&w=400. Accessed 7 Feb. 2019.

Lincoln, Abraham. "Transcript of the Proclamation." 1 Jan. 1863. National Archives,

www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-

proclamation/transcript.html. Accessed 20 Dec. 2018.

Livingston, Robert. "The Middle Passage." Gilder Lehrman, 1749,

www.gilderlehrman.org/content/middle-passage-1749. Accessed 20 Dec. 2018.

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Nash, Jonell. "Celebrate Juneteenth." Essence, vol. 31, no. 2, June 2000, pp. 125-28.

EBSCOhost, web.a.ebscohost.com. Accessed 9 Dec. 2018.

Prather, Patricia Smith. "Juneteenth." Cobblestone, vol. 18, no. 3, Mar. 1997, p. 17.

EBSCOhost, web.a.ebscohost.com. Accessed 9 Dec. 2018.

Slavery: Cause and Catalyst of the Civil War. U.S. Department of the Interior National

Park Service, www.nps.gov/shil/learn/historyculture/upload/SLAVERY-

BROCHURE.pdf.

Striner, Richard. "Hurrah for Old Abe." New York Times, 29 Jan. 2013,

opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/hurrah-for-old-abe/.