Juneteenth (Observed Monday, June 20, 2022) - Office will be Closed

History of Juneteenth

The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862. It went into effect on January 1, 1863. However, slaves were not set free in the Confederacy until Union army was able to come in and take over. On June 18, 1865 the Union army arrived in Galveston, Texas. The next day, June 19, General Gordon Granger announced that the slaves in Texas were free by order of the president of the United States.

The former slaves in Galveston celebrated the day that they were set free. The first Juneteenth celebration took place the very next year.

The annual celebration began to spread throughout Texas and surrounding states. However, it became less popular in the early 1900's. It became popular once again in the 1950's and 1960's. In 1980 it became an official state holiday in Texas.