1865 - Juneteenth: General Order No. 3 Declares Freedom for Enslaved Texans

On June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order No. 3, announcing the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas—marking the official end of slavery in the state. Though President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, enforcement in Confederate territories was slow and often resisted. Texas, being geographically isolated and lightly garrisoned, had maintained slavery longer than most Confederate states. With the arrival of Union troops, Granger’s order informed the approximately 250,000 enslaved African Americans in Texas that they were now free: “All slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves.” This moment became the foundation of Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. It is supported by primary sources including the text of General Order No. 3 and contemporary military dispatches.