JUNETEENTH 1865 Freedom Day

Independence, Freedom, Liberation, 

What does this mean for you and me?

In order to understand the present and future, it is imperative to have a clear vision of past events.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines freedom as :

the quality or state of being free: such as

a

: the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action

b

: liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : INDEPENDENCE

Here’s a little history of the country in which we reside, the United States of America.

Declaration of Independence

Supposedly, this document justified America’s reasoning for separating itself from the Mother Country. As written:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

The problem:

The United States was diligently working on freeing itself from the harsh treatment of Great Britain, yet there was such an injustice that was happening in their own backyard. 

You see, not every citizen in the US was given the same rights. Slavery amongst African Americans dominated the land. Men, women & children slaves were forced to harsh labor. Although they were the sole contributors to the booming economy, they were denied human rights. The same human rights that were laid out in the Declaration of Independence.

Please keep that thought in mind……

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

The American Revolution begins…..

The Declaration of Independence begins the American Revolution. Its adoption by Continental Congress on July 4, 1776 is why Independence Day has been largely been recognized as the 4th of July.

A day that symbolizes the country’s freedom from Great Britain. The 13 colonies fought hard to separate themselves from a government that they felt did not govern with fair practices or represent them justly. Such as paying higher taxes to pay off Britain's debt.  You see, the colonies didn’t have a voice in the matter. They were subjected to whatever laws were put in place by Parliament, which resulted in the slogan ‘No taxation without representation’. 

The United States went to war with Great Britain and won. After their victory, they decided to form their own government. The Constitution lays out how the newly formed United States would be governed. As it was being formed there were disagreements amongst the leaders of the Continental Congress regarding the legalization of slavery. 

Eventually, the rising discourse of slavery lead to the Civil War of America. 

CIVIL WAR

In 1860, a total of eleven states had withdrawn from the Union and formed the Confederate States. South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

25 States, 5 of them border states, formed the Union. 

The Confederate States were against abolishing slavery, realizing that it would negatively affect their economy.  While the states that were part of the Union were against the spread of slavery to the new territories. The Union states recruited enslaved black men on the promise that they would be freed upon victory against the Confederacy

After years of grueling battle amongst the northern and southern states, in 1863, President Lincoln signed an order, The Emancipation Proclamation,  declaring all enslaved people in America free. Another 2 years go by, June 1865,  before General Gordon Granger and Union Army troops marched to Galveston, Texas, and enforced the Emancipation Proclamation. 

This is why June 19th, 1865, or Juneteenth, is recognized as  Black Independence Day.