The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth
On “Freedom’s Eve,” or the eve of January 1, 1863, the first Watch Night services took place. On that night, enslaved and free African Americans gathered in churches and private homes all across the country awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect. At the stroke of midnight, prayers were answered as all enslaved people in Confederate States were declared legally free. Union soldiers, many of whom were black, marched onto plantations and across cities in the south reading small copies of the Emancipation Proclamation spreading the news of freedom in Confederate States. Only through the Thirteenth Amendment did emancipation end slavery throughout the United States.
But not everyone in Confederate territory would immediately be free. 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.
The post-emancipation period known as Reconstruction (1865-1877) marked an era of great hope, uncertainty, and struggle for the nation as a whole. Formerly enslaved people immediately sought to reunify families, establish schools, run for political office, push radical legislation and even sue slaveholders for compensation. Given the 200+ years of enslavement, such changes were nothing short of amazing. Not even a generation out of slavery, African Americans were inspired and empowered to transform their lives and their country.
Juneteenth marks our country’s second independence day. Although it has long celebrated in the African American community, this monumental event remains largely unknown to most Americans.
The historical legacy of Juneteenth shows the value of never giving up hope in uncertain times. The National Museum of African American History and Culture is a community space where this spirit of hope lives on. A place where historical events like Juneteenth are shared and new stories with equal urgency are told.
View Our Juneteenth Digital Toolkit
As you celebrate Juneteenth this year, the museum offers additional resources to help you embrace the rich history of Freedom Day.
Today is Juneteenth, which honors the date in 1865 when the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Galveston, Texas at the end of the American Civil War. The following year, African American communities began to organize celebrations, and they often focused on foods—especially red foods to symbolize resilience and joy
Sweet Home Café Cookbook celebrates African American cooking and draws upon traditions of family and fellowship strengthened by shared meals, and today we present three recipes that are perfect for your Juneteenth festivities.
- Texas caviar
Also known as marinated black-eyed peas, Texas caviar is the state’s version of a marinated bean salad. It consists of only black-eyed peas or of a mix of various beans, minced bell pepper, and corn. Created around 1940, it has become a Lone Star classic and is guaranteed to turn up at many a Juneteenth celebration. (Recipe) - Sweet cherry lemonade
Lemonade is popular throughout the South, and the addition of homemade sweet cherry syrup turns it red, making it an ideal drink for Juneteenth picnics and celebrations. Red drinks are traditional at Juneteenth events and may recall the celebratory hibiscus and kola nut teas of West Africa. (Recipe) - Red velvet cake
Although many think that red velvet cake has been an American standby for centuries, it is actually a 20th-century invention, having originated in the 1920s. The ruby-hued chocolate cake was later adopted with delight by African Americans and began turning up on their menus. The famous Amy Ruth’s soul food restaurant in Harlem began serving it in 1998, and Cake Man Raven opened one of the first bakeries devoted to the cake in Brooklyn in 2000. (Recipe)