A note on historic context and #JuneTeenth— Many of the articles and social media posts currently note that on in Galveston June 19, 1865, approximately 250,000 enslaved Blacks in Texas were notified that they were free. Here’s a few important things about that number…
1) In 1825, Stephen F. Austin’s colony of anglo settlers on the Brazos River included 400+ Black slaves, and despite Mexico abolishing slavery in 1829 it granted Amex exception to Texas in 1830.
2) The number of Black slaves grew rapidly in Texas: from 10,000+ in 1840 to 58,000 in 1850. By 1860, there were 182,000 Black slaves in Texas—more that 30% of the total population of Texas.
3) After Texas seceded and joined the Confederacy in 1861, White plantation owners fled to Texas from Southern states including Louisiana and Arkansas, and by 1865 the number of Black slaves in Texas had increased to 250,000.
4) When Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger read General Order No. 3 in Galveston on June 19, 1865 it legally freed the 250,000 Black slaves in Texas, but they were not all immediately aware or granted their freedom.
5) Black slaves lived on plantations throughout central and east Texas, and many White plantation owners refused to free slaves unless forced to do so by the Union military.
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