On Juneteenth, June 19, 1865, U.S. Brigadier General Gordon Granger and his troops landed at Galveston, Texas confirming the news that the Civil War had ended and that enslaved African Americans in the Confederacy were now free. In 1980, Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Texas and has since been adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia. Today, this date is still celebrated across the US with family gatherings, parades, picnics, and fireworks.
Learn more about the History of Juneteenth