#Juneteenth marks the day enslaved African Americans in Galveston Bay, Texas, were notified of their freedom. It's celebrated as the end of U.S. chattel slavery and our nation's second independence day. #APeoplesJourney https://s.si.edu/2NecT8S 

The Emancipation Proclamation took effect in 1863, but it only freed enslaved people in rebelling states and could not be implemented in places under Confederate control. This booklet in our @NMAAHC was for Union soldiers to read and spread news of freedom to African Americans.

It took two years before Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay on June 19, 1865. They announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved African Americans in the state were free by executive decree. : 1900 Juneteenth celebration in Texas, Austin History Center

This year, our @NMAAHC is hosting "Juneteenth: A Celebration Of Resilience" online with presentations, stories, photographs and recipes: https://nmaahc.si.edu/events/juneteenth