JUNE 19

Today is Juneteenth.  Ever heard of it?  Forty-five U.S. states celebrate this date as a state holiday or special day of observance.  This is the date in 1865 that all slaves were freed in Texas.

By proclamation of President Abraham Lincoln, all slaves were to be freed on January 1, 1863. The American Civil War, the War between the States, didn't end until May 9, 1865 (by proclamation).

As usual, Texas was a bit of a renegade.  Since it was not a Civil War battleground state, it thought the original Emancipation Proclamation didn't effect it.  The Federal Government had to send in troops to make and back up the announcement that all slaves were emancipated.  That happened on June 18, 1865.  The next day ALL slaves were freemen.  Happy Juneteenth.

🎉