Although the Emancipation Proclamation was made effective in 1863, it was not able to be enforced in territories still under Confederate rule. As a result, enslaved people in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas would not have their freedom until much later.  On June 19, 1865, US Brigadier General Gordon Granger and 2,000 Union soldiers touched down at Galveston, Texas to communicate that the Civil War had ended, meaning enslaved African Americans were now free. Before Granger’s arrival, the US military in Texas was too feeble to execute President Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. Over 250,000 enslaved African Americans were freed. This was officially known as "Juneteenth" by the newly liberated people of Texas. The Thirteenth Amendment was ratified on December 6, 1865, eight months after the end of the Civil War.  It was a significant victory for the anti-slavery movement as it permanently ended the institution of slavery in America. The Amendment states that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

Juneteenth is now recognized as an official holiday or observance in many US states, and is celebrated as a time for African Americans to reflect on their history and the struggle for freedom. It is also a time for people of all races to come together and celebrate the end of slavery, and to work towards a more just and equal society.