Juneteenth

Juneteenth is an American federal holiday observed on June 19 celebrating the emancipation of people who had been enslaved in the United States. The popular name of the celebration is short for June Nineteenth, but the holiday is also called Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Liberation Day.

Slavery had existed in North America since the earliest settlers from England landed and established the American Colonies. When the Founding Fathers created the US Constitution, many legislators from the Southern states used their power and influence to ensure the practice of slavery was not outlawed.

Less than a century after the founding of the United States, the nation was divided over a number of issues, primarily the future existence of...