Africana Studies
Emancipation Proclamation
Additional Resources
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Celebrating JuneteenthNational Museum of African American History & Culture / The Smithsonian
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Emancipation ProclamationNational Archives
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Juneteenth Fact SheetCongressional Research Service
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What is Juneteeth?Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
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Why Juneteenth Celebrates the New Birth of FreedomThe Smithsonian
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Researching Juneteenth Celebrations at The New York Public LibraryNew York Public Library
Juneteenth is Officially an NJ Holiday!
(official Juneteenth Flag)
On September 10, 2020 Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey signed legislation designating Juneteenth as a recognized State and public holiday taking place on the third Friday in June.
To see official news story, visit NJ.gov: Governor Murphy Signs Legislation Designating Juneteenth as a State and Public Holiday
Here is an interesting piece from the New Jersey Historical Commission: New Jersey, The Last Northern State to End Slavery
Juneteenth Historical Sources
Digitizations of Primary Sources located in the National Archives:
For assistance with primary sources located in the SHU Archives, Special Collections, and Gallery please contact:
For assistance incorporating these primary sources and more into instruction, please contact:
What is Juneteenth?
"Juneteenth is a festival held in many African American and other communities to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. The name of the festival refers to June 19. Juneteenth festivities often include plays and storytelling, parades, and family reunions. Some communities hold longer Juneteenth festivals, spanning several days, as a celebration of civil rights and freedom. Juneteenth has been a legal holiday in Texas since 1980." (Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. 2018, 1p.)
Read more: What is Juneteenth? (SHU Search)
To view original Juneteenth Order, please visit the National Archives: Original ‘Juneteenth’ General Order
Books of Interest
Ideas to Celebrate
- Juneteenth Recipes Curated by Nicole TaylorThis New York Times article highlights some amazing Juneteenth Recipes by Nicole Taylor to help you celebrate this holiday. Enjoy!
- 4 Meaningful Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth with Your KidsSee this list of resources that can help you educate the young in order to celebrate the holiday. This is not an exhaustive list, but can serve as a great starting point!
- 9 Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth in 2021This article highlights some great ways to celebrate Juneteenth this year including attending virtual events. It also touches on the significance and origins of this day in history.
Additional Resources
- Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, 1862In 1862, a preliminary announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation was given on September 22, 1862, which would free slaves in states that rebelled against the Union contingent on those states rejoining the union by January 1, 1863. Read more about this via the Nationals Archives.
- The Emancipation ProclamationOn January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation was officially announced which legally freed slaves in states that had seceded from the Union. However, many slave masters withheld this information from slaves and kept them captive. This legal freedom for slaves did not extend to the entire nation, but served as turning point in the Civil War. Read more about this via the National Archives.
- Andrew Johnson-Full PardonMay 29, 1865, Andrew Johnson announces a pardon to Black AND white participants in the rebellion. Former Confederate officers were excluded, but many would receive pardons from Johnson.
- What is Juneteenth?June 19, 1865, marks Juneteenth, which represents the date that Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Texas and announced the end of the Civil War, 2 1⁄2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation was announced.
- Circular Order #15In July of 1865, U.S. Army General, Oliver Otis Howard, director of the of the Freedmen’s Bureau issued Circular Order #15 ordering Bureau agents to set aside 40-acre plots for the freedmen. Very quickly, President Andrew Johnson aborted the order and lands were restored to their former slave masters. The African American quest for equal rights and citizenship was blocked.
- Ku Klux Klan FormationThe Ku Klux Klan was formed in Pulaski, Tennessee to control the Black population as a source of cheap labor and to prevent African American exercise of the vote and office holding.
- Reconstruction ActThe right of Black political participation commenced with the passage of the Reconstructions Act.
- Ratification of the 15th AmendmentThe ratification of the 15th Amendment in 1870 prompted Black elected officials in Southern states. One prime example is Hiram Revels of Mississippi, the first African American Senator.
- Hayes-Tilden CompromiseHayes-Tilden Compromise was an informal agreement where Southern Democrats agreed not to block Hayes’ presidential election victory if the Republicans removed all federal troops from the south, making certain states Democratic and bringing an ending the Reconstruction era.
- Exodusters-Migration from the South1879 began the first migration of African Americans or ‘Exodusters’ out of the south. This migration created a few all-Black towns where Black people, because of segregation, were forced to do for self as much as they could, ostensibly leading to a few Black Wall Streets.
- Juneteenth-Official NJ HolidaySeptember 10, 2020, Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey signed legislation designating Juneteenth as a recognized State and public holiday taking place on the third Friday in June.