Juneteenth: Separating Fact from Myth
Myth 1: Juneteenth marked the end of slavery in the United States.
Fact: Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in Texas, not the entire country. Slavery remained legal in Union states like Kentucky and Delaware until the 13th Amendment was ratified on December 6, 1865—nearly six months later.
Even in Texas, slavery didn’t end overnight. General Order No. 3, issued on June 19, 1865, was only read in Galveston that day. Distribution began the next day and took weeks to reach the rest of the state due to limited communication methods like telegraph, newspapers, and handbills.
Myth 2: President Lincoln issued General Order No. 3.
Fact: Lincoln was assassinated on April 15, 1865—two months before the order was issued. General Order No. 3 originated with Major General Francis J. Herron in Louisiana, was copied by General Philip Sheridan, and ultimately issued in Galveston by General Gordon Granger, through his subordinate Major F.W. Emory.
Myth 3: The Emancipation Proclamation made slavery illegal nationwide.
Fact: The proclamation applied only to states in rebellion, not to Union states where slavery remained legal. Issued in part to discourage British support for the Confederacy, it redefined the Union’s war aim as one of emancipation. Only after the Confederacy’s defeat in April 1865 could the proclamation be enforced—culminating in Granger’s announcement in Texas on June 19.
Myth 4: Only Confederate states held slaves during the Civil War.
Fact: Union states like Kentucky, Missouri, Delaware, and Maryland also permitted slavery. These states were exempt from the Emancipation Proclamation and only ended slavery after the 13th Amendment was ratified.
Myth 5: Lincoln wanted to free the slaves.
Fact: Lincoln’s chief aim was preserving the Union—even if it meant keeping slavery. In his August 22, 1862 letter to Horace Greeley, he declared: “If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it...” . He only issued the Emancipation Proclamation once a Union victory (Antietam) gave him political leverage—and to deter Britain from siding with the Confederacy.
Myth 6: Juneteenth is the oldest emancipation celebration in the U.S.
Fact: Watch Night services, held on December 31, 1862, in anticipation of the Emancipation Proclamation, predate Juneteenth. These vigils continue today in many African American churches. Additionally, Juneteenth was not widely or consistently celebrated until 1938, when Texas formally recognized it as Emancipation Day.
Source: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2240/ten-juneteenth-myths/
Fact: Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in Texas, not the entire country. Slavery remained legal in Union states like Kentucky and Delaware until the 13th Amendment was ratified on December 6, 1865—nearly six months later.
Even in Texas, slavery didn’t end overnight. General Order No. 3, issued on June 19, 1865, was only read in Galveston that day. Distribution began the next day and took weeks to reach the rest of the state due to limited communication methods like telegraph, newspapers, and handbills.
Myth 2: President Lincoln issued General Order No. 3.
Fact: Lincoln was assassinated on April 15, 1865—two months before the order was issued. General Order No. 3 originated with Major General Francis J. Herron in Louisiana, was copied by General Philip Sheridan, and ultimately issued in Galveston by General Gordon Granger, through his subordinate Major F.W. Emory.
Myth 3: The Emancipation Proclamation made slavery illegal nationwide.
Fact: The proclamation applied only to states in rebellion, not to Union states where slavery remained legal. Issued in part to discourage British support for the Confederacy, it redefined the Union’s war aim as one of emancipation. Only after the Confederacy’s defeat in April 1865 could the proclamation be enforced—culminating in Granger’s announcement in Texas on June 19.
Myth 4: Only Confederate states held slaves during the Civil War.
Fact: Union states like Kentucky, Missouri, Delaware, and Maryland also permitted slavery. These states were exempt from the Emancipation Proclamation and only ended slavery after the 13th Amendment was ratified.
Myth 5: Lincoln wanted to free the slaves.
Fact: Lincoln’s chief aim was preserving the Union—even if it meant keeping slavery. In his August 22, 1862 letter to Horace Greeley, he declared: “If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it...” . He only issued the Emancipation Proclamation once a Union victory (Antietam) gave him political leverage—and to deter Britain from siding with the Confederacy.
Myth 6: Juneteenth is the oldest emancipation celebration in the U.S.
Fact: Watch Night services, held on December 31, 1862, in anticipation of the Emancipation Proclamation, predate Juneteenth. These vigils continue today in many African American churches. Additionally, Juneteenth was not widely or consistently celebrated until 1938, when Texas formally recognized it as Emancipation Day.
Source: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2240/ten-juneteenth-myths/
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