Today is Juneteenth, Independence Day for many Americans. In 1865, that’s the day slaves learned that they were free. It’s been a celebration day ever since.
But there are some interesting facts many people don’t know. I’ll list them here and you can go to 12 Things You Might Not Know About Juneteenth.
- ENSLAVED PEOPLE HAD ALREADY BEEN EMANCIPATED—THEY JUST DIDN’T KNOW IT.
- THERE ARE MANY THEORIES AS TO WHY THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION WASN’T ENFORCED IN TEXAS.
- THE ANNOUNCEMENT ACTUALLY URGED FREEDMEN AND FREEDWOMEN TO STAY WITH THEIR FORMER OWNERS.
- WHAT FOLLOWED WAS KNOWN AS “THE SCATTER.”
- NOT ALL ENSLAVED PEOPLE WERE FREED INSTANTLY.
- FREEDOM CREATED OTHER PROBLEMS.
- THERE WERE LIMITED OPTIONS FOR CELEBRATING.
- JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS WANED FOR SEVERAL DECADES.
- TEXAS WAS THE FIRST STATE TO DECLARE JUNETEENTH A STATE HOLIDAY.
- JUNETEETH HAS BEEN A FEDERAL HOLIDAY FOR ONLY A FEW YEARS.
- THE JUNETEENTH FLAG IS FULL OF SYMBOLISM.
- JUNETEENTH TRADITIONS VARY ACROSS THE U.S.