Free
On January 1, 1863, President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. The proclamation officially ended slavery in the Confederate states. From that day on, all people who had been enslaved there were free. Well, sort of
In those days, there was no mass communications. There was no social media. So news spread slowly. And especially this news. The Union didn’t have enough soldiers to enforce the proclamation. So in many places, slavery continued. Texas was the last state to abandon the institution. But all that changed on June 19, 1865, when General Gordon Granger and almost 2,000 troops arrived in Galveston. There, Granger issued General Order No. 3. The order ended slavery in Texas.
General Order No. 3
The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor.
General Gordon Granger
◀ Notice that the order mentions the “Executive of the United States.” The person this term referred to was President Lincoln. General Order No. 3 urged people to stay where they were. It suggested they work as employees. But many didn’t. Instead, they left the plantation. Some went to the North. Some went to find family members. This period became known as “the scatter.”
President Abraham Lincoln
After issuing General Order No. 3, Granger traveled throughout Texas. For six weeks, he went from plantation to plantation. His plan was to spread the word to the 250,000 enslaved people in the state. Many plantation owners were slow to share the news with their enslaved workers. Some even waited until after the harvest. That way, they could keep from paying wages a while longer. ▶
◀ Having red foods and drinks is part of celebrating Juneteenth. Why red, you might ask? Like most else on Juneteenth, the answer has to do with slavery. Before emancipation, enslaved people were not allowed to have drinks like strawberry soda. As free people, there was no such “rule.” Today, Juneteenth celebrators enjoy strawberry soda as a symbol of resilience and resistance.
The Juneteenth flag is full of symbolism. The colors are red, white, and blue. This reminds everyone that enslaved people—and their descendants—are Americans. The star in the center is for Texas. Lisa Jeanne Graf, one of the flag’s designers, says the larger star bursting on the horizon is also symbolic. It “represents a new freedom, a new people, a new star.” Another version of the flag includes the date of General Order No. 3, June 19, 1865. ▶
