06/19/2026
On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and read General Order No. 3 — informing enslaved people that they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Freed slaves marked that date the following year, beginning a tradition of celebration that would eventually become a federal holiday, the first created by Congress since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.
The library is closed today in observance of Juneteenth, but our librarians put together a resource guide to help you learn more about its history and significance. Take a few minutes with it ➡️ https://westportlibrary.libguides.com/Juneteenth