Juneteenth: 7 milestones in the struggle to abolish slavery

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, June 19, 2022

A celebration of Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Jubilee Day, which took place in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1900. | Public Domain

On Sunday, Americans across the United States will be celebrating Juneteenth, a holiday that marks the anniversary of when U.S. Major Gen. Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, declaring that the area's slaves were free.

Although first celebrated locally in the 19th century, Juneteenth is the newest of the 12 federal holidays, having only been given the official designation last year.

A key theme of the observance is remembering the abolition of slavery, a cause that unfolded over several generations in U.S. history, having its share of successes and failures.

Here are seven notable milestones in the effort to abolish slavery in the U.S. They include the banning of international slavery, the release of the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and the passage of the 13th Amendment.