Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was made effective in 1863, it could not be implemented in places still under Confederate control. As a result, in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas, enslaved people would not be free until much later. Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state, were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as "Juneteenth," by the newly freed people in Texas.
To learn more; check out these links:
Juneteenth - Sun, Sounds and the Spirit of Freedom
Juneteenth National Independence Day 2025
Juneteenth: The oldest known celebration of the end of Slavery in America
Juneteenth: Our Newest Federal Holiday
Juneteenth Plays a Significant Part in the Nation’s Past … and Future
How the US Military Helped Create the Juneteenth Holiday
The Enduring Legacy of Juneteenth: Life After Emancipation