“There is no way to get around the fact that, whatever legitimate federalism-based issues were at play, slavery was a central reason Anglo-Texans wanted out of Mexico. Using unpaid labor to clear forests, plant crops, harvest them, and move them to market was the basis of their lives and wealth.”

Annette Gordon-Reed explores the origins of the new federal holiday Juneteenth, which became official for the first time on June 19, 2021 when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.

This holiday originated in Galveston Texas in 1866, the date that news of the end of slavery reached Texas and other states in the southwest.

This holiday is also known as Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and Black Independence Day.