06/19/2026
Juneteenth marks the anniversary of the day that United States troops proclaimed the freedom of enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, in 1865—two-and-a-half years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
Prior to June 19, many enslavers were aware of the Emancipation Proclamation. But it wasn’t until General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston to read Order No. 3 that the Union Army announced it would enforce the proclamation. With that act, freedom for more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state was affirmed.
This booklet, in the collections of our Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, was produced in December 1862 for Union soldiers to read and distribute.
We’re celebrating with public programs across the Smithsonian with our Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum, and Smithsonian Folklife. ➡️ si.edu/events/juneteenth
