Texas Observes Juneteenth
Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19, is the name given to Emancipation Day by African Americans in Texas. On that day in 1865 Union Major-General Gordon Granger read General Order No. 3 to the people of Galveston. It stated:
"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 personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly 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 in idleness either there or elsewhere."
Large celebrations on June 19 began in 1866 and continued regularly into the early 20th century. African Americans treated this day like the Fourth of July, and the celebrations contained similar events. In the early days, Juneteenth celebrations included a prayer service, speakers with inspirational messages, reading of the Emancipation Proclamation, stories from former slaves, food, red soda water, games, rodeos, and dances.
The celebration of June 19 as Emancipation Day spread from Texas to the neighboring states of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. It also appeared in Alabama, Florida, and California as African American Texans migrated.
In many parts of Texas, freedmen and women purchased land, or "emancipation grounds," for Juneteenth gatherings. Examples include: Emancipation Park in Houston, purchased in 1872; what is now Booker T. Washington Park in Mexia; and Emancipation Park in Austin.
Celebration of Juneteenth declined during World War II but returned in 1950 at the Texas State Fair Grounds in Dallas. Interest and participation fell away during the late 1950s and 1960s as attention focused on expansion of freedom for African Americans. In the 1970s Juneteenth revived in some communities. For example, in Austin the Juneteenth celebration returned in 1976 after a 25-year hiatus. Texas House Bill 1016 passed in the 66th Legislature, Regular Session, declared June 19, "Emancipation Day in Texas," a legal state holiday effective starting in 1980. Since that time, the celebration of Juneteenth continues across the state of Texas with parades, picnics, and dancing. Find out more at the Juneteenth article in the Handbook of Texas from the Texas State Historical Association.
On Thursday, June 17, 2021, after unanimous passage in the United States Senate and subsequent passage in the House, President Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday. Many states, including Texas, have long recognized Juneteenth, but only some observe it as an official holiday. This bill makes Juneteenth a national holiday.
Find more resources in our collections pertaining to Juneteenth by searching our TSLAC library catalog or visit Archives and Manuscripts to learn more about our archival materials.
Collage Images: Senator Matthew Gains, enlargement from composite portrait of 13th Texas Legislature, by H. B. Hillyer, 1873. Prints and Photographs, 1/151-1; Children participate in a Juneteenth celebration at the Texas State Capitol, 72nd Legislature activities, 1992. Bill Kennedy materials, 1992/056-001. Current Events Photographic Documentation Program Collection; Former enslaved person Washington Edwards, aged 103 years, 1889. Prints and Photographs, 1905/011-1. TSLAC.
Resources available at TSLAC include:
General Orders, No. 3. U.S. House, 54th Congress, 1st Session (H. Doc. 369, Part 2), 1896. U.S. Documents Collection. Y 1.1/2: SERIAL 3437 (download PDF)
Being Texan : essays, recipes, and advice for the Lone Star way of life, "The Evolution of Juneteenth," 2021. Kayla Stewart. Main Collection, 976.4 B396
Juneteenth : the story behind the celebration, 2021. Edward T. Cotham. Main Collection, 394.263 C826j
Juneteenth! : celebrating freedom in Texas, 1999. Anna Pearl Barrett. Reference Reading Room Collection, 394.263 B275j YALL
Juneteenth at Comanche Crossing, 1983. Doris Hollis Pemberton. Main Collection. 976.400496073 P369J
Juneteenth Texas : essays in African-American folklore, 1996. Francis Edward Abernethy. Texas Documents Collection, Z N745.7 T312f NO.54
The laws of slavery in Texas : historical documents and essays, "The End of Slavery in Texas," 2010. Randolph B. Campbell. Texas Documents Collection, Z UA380.8 L441SL
Let's pretend : Mae Dee and her family join the Juneteenth celebration : the third in a series of stories, 1978. Ada DeBlanc Simond. Reference Reading Room Collection, 976.431 SI56J YALL
On Juneteenth, 2021. Annette Gordon-Reed. Main Collection, 394.263 G658o
Opal Lee and what it means to be free : the true story of the grandmother of Juneteenth, 2022. Alice Faye Duncan. Reference Reading Room Collection, 323.092 D912o YALL
Texas Highways, "Let Freedom Ring," 2020. Michael Hurd. Texas Documents Collection, T1325.6 H537 V.67 NO.6 JUN 2020
Texas Monthly, “Texas Primer: Juneteenth,” 1988. Chester Rosson. Main Collection, 976.4005 T312mo V.16 No.1-6
Texas Monthly, "The Story We've Been Told About Juneteenth Is Wrong," 2023. Joseph Peniel. Main Collection, 976.4005 T312mo V.51 NO.6 JUN 2023
Subject Vertical File, “Juneteenth Celebrations,” various dates.
Online Exhibits
First Push for African American Rights: Texans Struggle for Freedom and Equality
For more information about our collections please send questions and comments to the Reference Desk or call 512-463-5455.