Juneteenth is coming up on Monday, June 19. Wondering why we celebrate Juneteenth on this date? I’ll share the history behind this important holiday.

The Juneteenth holiday came about from the end of slavery in the United States in 1865, when the Confederate army, under Gen. Robert E. Lee, surrendered to the Union army under Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia on April 9.

The news of the surrender reached Galveston, TX on June 19, when 2,000 Union troops arrived and announced that 250,000 slaves in the state of Texas were freed by executive decree.

The slaves of the region promptly made June 19 a day of celebration, marking their knowledge of being emancipated. 

For over 100 years, the decree was discussed. Texas made the first move, declaring Juneteenth a state holiday in 1980.

Public awareness of Juneteenth grew in 2020 amid nationwide protests after the police killings of several Black Americans, including George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, KY. 

New York State began observing Juneteenth in 2004, making it a state holiday in 2020. 

In 2021, President Joe Biden made Juneteenth a federal holiday. 

In addition, a few cities in the United States have recently declared Juneteenth a holiday—including New York City, Los Angeles and Phoenix.

Below are the states that have made Juneteenth a holiday, and the year in which it became official.

Colorado (2022)

Connecticut (2023)

Delaware (2022)

District Of Columbia (2021)

Georgia (2022)

Idaho (2021)

Illinois (2021)

Louisiana (2022)

Maine (2022)

Maryland (2022)

Massachusetts (2021)

Missouri (2022)

Nebraska (2022)

New Jersey (2021)

New Mexico (2022)

New York (2020)

Ohio (2021)

Oregon (2022)

Pennsylvania (2019)

South Dakota (2022)

Texas (1980)

Utah (2022)

Virginia (2020)

Washington (2022)

West Virginia (2021)

Al Dumas is the town historian for the Town of Thompson.