America fought its bloodiest war mainly over the issue of slavery. It took the deaths of over half a million citizens to abolish the heinous institution. This figure does not account for the untold numbers of black lives devastated by slavery—brutal corporal punishments, the centuries of strenuous physical labor without remuneration, and, significantly for this […]
Juneteenth is the oldest celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. It is recognized on June 19th every year. In Texas, where it is a state holiday, slaves learned of the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after the initial announcement. A Broadside Announcing Emancipation A broadside, […]
Today is Juneteenth. June 19, 1865 commemorates the day when the Emancipation Proclamation that declared all slaves free was announced to citizens in the state of Texas. Although the proclamation became official on January 1, 1863, it wasn’t until after the war ended that it had any real effects. Photo Credit: rollingout.com A Day of Freedom […]
