June 1865
Events
- June 1865Freedpeople Search for Families Separated by Slavery
After emancipation, freedpeople undertook extraordinary efforts to reunite families separated by sale. Thousands of 'Information Wanted' ads were placed in Black newspapers — the Christian Recorder alone published hundreds. The Freedmen's Bureau processed thousands of requests. Some families walked hundreds of miles to find spouses and children sold across state lines, reasserting bonds that slavery had legally denied.
- June 19, 1865Juneteenth: freedom reaches Texas
Union troops announce emancipation in Galveston — two and a half years after the Proclamation.
Resources from this period
Primary sources·1
Articles·5
Clear explainer from HISTORY on how Juneteenth marks the June 19, 1865 arrival of Union troops in Galveston, the delayed enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas, and the holiday's path to becoming a federal observance in 2021.
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed discusses her book On Juneteenth at a 2021 National Archives virtual event, reflecting on the holiday's significance as both a celebration and an educational day about slavery and racial discrimination.
Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s authoritative essay on the origins and enduring significance of Juneteenth, tracing General Order No. 3 through the Civil Rights revival to Juneteenth's spread across the United States.
National Archives blog post tracing how freed African Americans in Texas established the first Juneteenth celebration in 1866, how the holiday survived Jim Crow suppression, and how it spread nationwide during the Great Migration.
The definitive Texas history reference article on Juneteenth, covering General Order No. 3 in Galveston, the holiday's evolution from political rallies to community celebrations, its spread beyond Texas, and its 1979 recognition as a Texas state holiday.