On June 19 of each year, Americans celebrate Juneteenth. It marks an important moment in the country's history—the end of enslavement in the United States. Enslavement of Black people had been going on in the U.S. since the colonial period. And the road to ending the practice was long and difficult.

Question

Why is June 19, 1865, celebrated as the date enslavement came to an end? Didn't the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 free enslaved people? Not exactly.

The framers of the U.S. Constitution had hotly debated the practice of enslavement over the years. They made decisions that allowed it in some states. Still, arguments continued. Finally, 11 of the 15 states that allowed the practice of enslavement split from the Union. These states started their own government called the Confederacy. This led to the start of the Civil War in 1861.

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation in the middle of the Civil War. This proclamation was supposed to free enslaved people in the rebelling states. Yet it was difficult for the U.S. government to carry out. Confederate enslavers wouldn't take orders from the U.S. president. And news traveled slowly in 1863. So, many enslaved people were unaware of the proclamation until Northern soldiers arrived and spread the news.

Texas was one of the last Confederate states where emancipation took place. Union soldiers didn't arrive there until June 1865. This was two months after the war had ended. On June 19, 1865, a general read an order. It told people of the Emancipation Proclamation and said that "all slaves are free."

However, there was still a problem. The Constitution protected enslavement. Only a constitutional amendment could change that. So, on December 6, 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment was passed. This amendment ended enslavement nationwide.

June 19 became an unofficial holiday honoring this milestone in 1866. On that day, newly freed people in Texas celebrated the moment they had learned of their freedom one year before. There were parades, cookouts, and even musical performances. People called it "Juneteenth." The name is a mix of the words June and nineteenth.

Juneteenth took hold. It became an official Texas state holiday in 1980. Over the years, Juneteenth celebrations spread to all 50 states. In 2021, the day became a federal holiday. It is celebrated by millions of Americans.

The holiday recognizes a big step toward freedom for all in the U.S., but problems remain. Many Black Americans are still treated unfairly. Other groups of people are, too. Some people are protesting this.

This is why Juneteenth is still important today. It is a chance for the nation to learn from its history of enslavement. At the same time, it enables people to work toward a fairer future.
write an objective summary about this also make it seem like a kid wrote this

Answer 1

Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19 every year in the United States because it marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas found out they were free. Even though President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which was supposed to free enslaved people in the Confederate states, many didn't know about it because of the Civil War and slow communication.

Texas was one of the last places to hear the news, and it wasn't until Union soldiers arrived in June 1865 that the general announced that "all slaves are free." However, the Constitution still protected enslavement until the Thirteenth Amendment passed on December 6, 1865, which ended it nationwide.

Juneteenth became an unofficial holiday in 1866, celebrated with parades and cookouts. It became an official Texas state holiday in 1980 and a federal holiday in 2021, celebrated by millions across the country.

Juneteenth is important because it helps everyone remember the history of enslavement and encourages people to work toward a fairer future for all, as there are still issues of unfair treatment today.