118 Juneteenth - One Minute History

In 1863, following the Union victory at Antietam, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in Confederate states. This shifted the Civil War's focus to ending slavery. The war concluded with Robert E. Lee's surrender to Ulysses S. Grant. However, in Texas, many slaves remained unaware of their freedom until June 19, 1865, when Union Major General Gordon Granger announced General Order Number 3 in Galveston, declaring all slaves free. This day is now celebrated as Juneteenth, symbolizing the ongoing struggle for equality.

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