A dangerous consequence of not knowing our history is not knowing our truth.
Many Americans are taught that the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by President Abraham Lincoln on Jan. 1, 1863, freed all enslaved people in the U.S. Others are told that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were the last to be freed two years later, in June 1865. But neither of these popular beliefs is entirely true.
In the Southern U.S., Confederate flags still wave, upheld by the belief that the Civil War was fought over “states’ rights.” The truth? The war was largely about slavery — economically, politically and socially. The Southern economy thrived on the labor of enslaved people, and the Confederacy fought to preserve that system.
On Feb. 8, 1861, seven Southern states — South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas — seceded from the Union to form the Confederate States of America. They created their own constitution, elected Jefferson Davis as president, and set up their capital in Montgomery, Alabama. Just two months later, the Civil War erupted in April 1861.
While states’ rights were a topic of discussion, the central issue was slavery — specifically, the South’s desire to maintain it. Slavery was their “currency,” and they had more of it than the North. They weren’t about to give it up without a fight.
Even Lincoln, often praised as the “Great Emancipator,” initially sought to preserve the Union rather than to abolish slavery.
“My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery. … If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it,” he said.
When Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it was more a strategic military move than a moral decree. It only applied to Confederate states — where he had no control — and excluded border states that remained loyal to the Union. In short, it didn’t free anyone immediately. Its power lay in changing the purpose of the war and discouraging foreign nations like Britain and France from supporting the Confederacy. It also allowed Black men to enlist in the Union Army and Navy. By war’s end, nearly 200,000 Black soldiers and sailors had fought for freedom.
The turning point came when General William T. Sherman completed his devastating “March to the Sea,” reaching Savannah, Georgia, on Dec. 21, 1864. This victory helped ensure a Union win and was celebrated as Jubilee Day by freed Blacks in Savannah.
Soon after, on Jan. 12, 1865, Sherman met with 20 Black ministers in Savannah to ask what the newly freed people needed most. Their answer: land. The result was Special Field Orders No. 15, which promised 40 acres to freed families. Thus, the often quoted, “40 acres and a mule.” The mule part of the request came later.
Although freedom was advancing, it had yet to reach everyone. The Civil War officially ended with the Confederate surrender on April 9, 1865, and with it marked the end of slavery. However, it was nearly two months later, on June 2, that Confederate troops in Galveston, Texas, surrendered. Then, on June 19, Union forces arrived to enforce emancipation, finally informing the enslaved people there of their freedom. Contrary to the common myth, they received this news just two months after the war’s end — not two years later.
That day — Juneteenth — marks the moment freedom was declared in Galveston, making it a powerful symbol of delayed and much-anticipated liberation.
However, Texas was not the final holdout. Kentucky and Mississippi were even later. Remember that the US federal government officially ended slavery with the ratification of the 13th Amendment on Dec. 6, 1865. Kentucky didn’t recognize it until December 18, 1865, and shockingly, Mississippi didn’t formally ratify it until Feb. 7, 2013.
So, while Juneteenth is a powerful symbol of liberation, it’s not the end of the story. It represents the moment when freedom reached Galveston — but not the moment slavery ended entirely. That came with the 13th Amendment.
As the saying goes, “The truth shall set you free.” Juneteenth is worth honoring — but let’s honor it in truth. It came two months after the Civil War ended and symbolizes a broader reckoning with America’s past. Let’s celebrate it with full knowledge and promote accurate truth.
Let’s get the story right — because truth matters.
By Maxine Bryant, Ph.D., founder of GriotSpeaks, author and African-American culture keeper. Dr. Bryant replaces mythology with truth about Africa and the African Diaspora experience. Learn more about her at www.drmaxinebryant.com and email her at mlb@drmaxinebryant.com
