The History of Juneteenth and Its Massachusetts' Connection

The Day is Now Celebrated As Both A State and Federal Holiday

In 2020, Agency Checklists first wrote about how the insurance industry was responding to Juneteenth’s designation as a federal holiday. As part of that article, we provided a brief history of Juneteenth and how it came about.

As that article continues to be one of the most searched articles on our website, and with the official holiday tomorrow, we have decided to reprint the section below for those who may be interested in learning more about one of our country’s and state’s newest federal and state holidays.

A look at the history of Juneteenth & Emancipation Day celebrations

So, as more and more companies, both inside and outside the insurance industry, begin to observe Juneteenth as an official holiday, Agency Checklists thought it might be helpful to share a brief history of the day and what it celebrates.

metapth124053_m_PICA05476.med_res-1 | Agency Checklists — Stephenson Mrs Charles Grace Murray Emancipation Day Celebration June 19 1900 photograph June 19 1900 Austin History Center Austin Public Library

According to the Library of Congress, June 19, 2020, marks the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth, “…the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.” The name is a combination of “June” and “nineteenth” as a memory of “that day of glad tidings.”

While President Lincoln signed and issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, news about the proclamation did not reach some slaves held in parts of the Confederacy until Union forces took control. The last major Confederate force, located in Galveston, Texas, did not surrender until early June 1865.

On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger, the Union commander in charge of the Military District of Texas, under martial law, issued General Order Number 3. The Order began: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”

“Juneteenth,” the June 19th holiday, has been celebrated in Texas each year since then, with the state proclaiming it an official holiday on June 3, 1979. It should be noted that many states also observe Emancipation Day, albeit not always on the same day. For example, Florida has long celebrated Emancipation Day on May 20th, while Thomaston, Georgia, has been celebrating Emancipation Day on May 29 since 1866. In 2007, Governor Deval Patrick signed a proclamation recognizing Juneteenth in Massachusetts. Bill H.D. 5141, entitled “An Act to Make Juneteenth Independence Day a State Holiday,” was filed with the Massachusetts Legislature on June 17, 2020, and seeks to make the day an official state holiday.

One of the biggest celebrations of Emancipation Day has been in Washington, D.C. The city officially commemorates the end of slavery on April 16th, the day that President Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862. With the signing of this Act, slavery was officially abolished in DC, which saw the immediate freeing of over 3,100 individuals. In an interesting footnote, Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts was instrumental in helping President Lincoln get the Act passed through Congress.

As recounted in the White House Historical Association website (founded by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961), many African Americans in DC began to celebrate April 16th as a holiday. Over the years, the day grew to include speeches as well as an annual parade that passed in front of the White House and which was reviewed by various Presidents. The following is an excerpt from an article on the White House Historical Association website:

“Presidential approval helped make the parades a success and acknowledged African Americans had the right to assemble in Lafayette Square as free people. Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Andrew Johnson particularly enjoyed the tributes to Lincoln and the Republican Party as emancipators.”