June 19, also called Juneteenth National Independence Day, is an American holiday celebrating the date when the last slaves in the United States were freed after the Civil War.
While President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865 when the final enforcement of the order was officially carried out. Slaves in Galveston, Texas were the last to learn they were free.
The date later became a celebration, featuring parades, festivals and cookouts across the U.S. Juneteenth is now a federal and state holiday in Georgia…