Yesterday was Juneteenth—a holiday commemorating the ending of slavery. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger of the Union army arrived in Galveston, Texas and issued a general order (pictured right) informing the people that the Civil War had ended and all enslaved people in rebel territories were free, in accordance with the Emancipation Proclamation, issued January 1863. Nearly six months later, on December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment was ratified and extended the prohibition of slavery to all states. To learn more about the origins of Juneteenth and the 13th Amendment, check out the resources below.
From the National Constitution Center:
