On June 9, 1865, General Order No. 3 was issued in Galveston, Texas. Its issuance and the arrival of federal troops effectively ended the Civil War and emancipated those who had been confined to a life of slavery. Previously on January 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation declared “that ALL persons held as slaves within the rebellious Confederate States are and henceforward shall be free”. However, the Southern Confederacy viewed themselves as an independent nation, and did not immediately free the enslaved population by refusing to enforce Lincoln’s proclamation.

Texas had evolved into a stronghold of Confederate influence in the latter years of the Civil War which resulted in more than 50,000 slaves being moved to Texas by slave owners. To them, the slaves were their personal property. Unfortunately, slavery continued in the region beyond the reach of federal troops. Only after the Union States Army forced the surrender of the Confederate General Edmond Kirby Smith at Galveston on June 2, 1865, would the emancipation of slaves be addressed and granted. On June19,1865, more than 250,000 enslaved people became free.

The issuance of General Order No. 3 on June 19, 1865, marked the official date of emancipation for the enslaved population. Even then, many faced barriers to their freedom.

For example, General Order No. 3 stipulated that former slaves were “to remain in their present homes, were barred from enlisting in the military and would not be supported in idleness.” Essentially, the former slaves gained little freedom beyond the word emancipation. The official end of slavery in the U.S. came with the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865.

Once emancipated, many former slaves fled Texas in great numbers heading north for opportunities for a better life for themselves and their families.

On June 17, 2021, President Joseph Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act which officially made Juneteenth a federal holiday.