Juneteenth: How News of Freedom Reached Texas
On June 19, 1865, a group of Union soldiers arrived on the island city of Galveston, Texas. Led by Major General Gordon Granger, these soldiers brought news that changed thousands of lives forever. Standing on Texas soil, Granger announced General Order No. 3. This military order declared that all enslaved people in Texas were officially free.
Today, people across the United States celebrate this historic day as Juneteenth, a name created by combining the words "June" and "nineteenth." While Juneteenth marks a joyful turning point, understanding its history requires looking at how the Civil War ended and how information traveled in the nineteenth century.
Two and a half years before General Granger landed in Galveston, President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. This famous document declared that all enslaved people living in Confederate states that were fighting against the Union were free. However, the proclamation did not automatically free everyone immediately. The United States was in the middle of a war, and Texas was far away from the main battlefields. Confederate leaders in Texas refused to follow the president’s orders. Enslaved people had no choice but to wait until the Union military arrived to enforce the law.
- proclamation:
- An important official public announcement made by a leader.
- enforce:
- To make sure that people obey a rule, order, or law.
- wages:
- Money earned and paid to someone for doing work.
- amendment:
- A formal change or addition made to a law or constitution.
- liberation:
- The act of gaining freedom from control or enslavement.
- resilience:
- The ability to recover and remain strong after facing great difficulty.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What important announcement did Major General Gordon Granger make when he arrived in Galveston, Texas?
- 2Why did it take two and a half years for the Emancipation Proclamation to be enforced in Texas?
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About this explanatory article passage for 4th Grade
“Juneteenth: How News of Freedom Reached Texas” is a explanatory article reading passage about Juneteenth, written for 4th Grade. It takes about 3 minutes to read (513 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.