On June 9, 1865, Union troops under General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, weeks ahead of his famous June 19 order that would later inspire Juneteenth. Though General Order No. 3 would not be officially issued until June 19, early troop movements and localized enforcement began as soon as soldiers landed. Some enslaved people were already hearing of their liberation and asserting their freedom even before the formal proclamation. This moment was part of a broader military strategy to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation across Confederate strongholds, laying groundwork for African Americans in Texas to transition from enslavement to uncertain freedom.
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