WHAT IS JUNETEENTH? Juneteenth or June 19, 1865, is considered the date when the last slaves in America were freed. Although the rumors of freedom were widespread prior to this, actual emancipation did not come until General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas and issued General Order No. 3, on June 19, almost two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
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Juneteenth is now recognized as a state holiday or state holiday observance in Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Delaware, Idaho, Alaska, Iowa, California, Wyoming, Missouri, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Arkansas, Kentucky, Michigan, New Mexico and also in the District of Columbia. Many more states, including Colorado, Oregon, South Dakota, Mississippi, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Montana, Maryland, Virginia and Wisconsin have recognized Juneteenth through state legislative resolutions and Gubernatorial Proclamations. |
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