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Juneteenth: Fact Sheet (CRS Report for Congress)

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Release Date Revised June 13, 2024
Report Number R44865
Report Type Report
Authors Higgins, Molly
Source Agency Congressional Research Service
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  • Premium   Revised May 30, 2023 (9 pages, $24.95) add
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Summary:

Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. It is also known as Emancipation Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, and Black Independence Day. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and announced the end of the civil war and the end of slavery. Although the Emancipation Proclamation came 2½ years earlier on January 1, 1863, and many slave owners continued to hold their slaves captive after the announcement, Juneteenth became a symbolic date representing African American freedom. Juneteenth is not a federal holiday. Forty-five states and the District of Columbia celebrate Juneteenth as a state holiday. This fact sheet assists congressional offices with work related to Juneteenth. It contains sample speeches and remarks from the Congressional Record, presidential proclamations and remarks, and selected historical and cultural resources.