Union Major General Gordon Granger issues General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, announcing that 'all slaves are free,' two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
At a Glance
- Date
- 19 June 1865
- Location
- Galveston, Texas
- Key people
- Gordon Granger
- Category
- Emancipation & Reconstruction
- Source
- General Order No. 3, June 19, 1865 · National Archives
What It Meant Then
It marked the effective end of slavery in the last major holdout of the Confederacy.
What It Means Now
Juneteenth became a U.S. federal holiday in 2021.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “Juneteenth.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/juneteenth/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Juneteenth. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/juneteenth/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “Juneteenth.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/juneteenth/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.