TIMELINE LEADING TO JUNETEENTH

Just to set the record straight, I think slavery was wrong in the past and it is wrong today. God is no respecter of persons and neither am I. The reason I am writing this is because I believe Juneteenth is not when all slaves were officially freed. Juneteenth only freed the Texas slaves or where fighting was still going on. This proclamation was issued January 1, 1863 but did not reach Galveston until a June 19th, 1865. The following is the sequence of events that led to the 13th Ammendment, which legally set all slaves free.

Timeline of events leading up to Juneteenth

• Aug 1862– Lincoln tried to get congress to enact a law providing for the state to pay $400 for every slave and then the state would own them and could free them, but the act failed
• 2^nd Dec 1862 Lincoln, still trying to resolve the slavery issue, wanted congress to abolish slavery at any time prior to 1900, giving the slaves and the owners time to work out issues. It was Lincoln’s thought that to free the slaves all at once would be a hardship on them in ways such as, they owned nothing, had no skills and had never lived without someone caring for them. Congress rejected this.
• July 1862 1^st draft of the Emancipation Proclamation, A member of his cabinet, Seward, suggested that this proclamation not be publicly announced until there was a major military victory.  On September 22, McClellan claimed a major victory by checking Lee’s progress at Antietam.
• Jan 1 1863 Emancipation Proclamation went into effect and was publicly announced after McClellan’s success. Even though announced as THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION, it had no legal status. Lincoln was using his war powers as President and head of the Army, he could issue the proclamation, but only in state where there was a war effort going on and where there was still rebellion.
• Jan. 1865 the 13^th amendment was approved by congress,
• December 1865 the 13^th amendment was ratified by ¾ of the legislators and put into effect. Absolute abolishment of slavery everywhere under the jurisdiction of the United States

The 13^th Amendment

Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime where of the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation

The 13^th amendment was not politically popular at the time. Lincoln faced varying views. On the one hand, those wanting immediate abolition and those who viewed saving the Union above all. During this time and suspension of habeas corpus, many dissidents were arrested.

After being ratified, word apparently had not reached Texas until Major General Granger delivered the announcement in Galveston, Texas, June 19^th, 1865. A copy of the original announcement and the generals orders is provided below. The General also provided a handwritten note. See the announcement and the note below. Source: The National Archives