AccuWeather commemorates Juneteenth on 'This Date in Weather History'
By
John Murphy, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Jun 19, 2020 9:22 AM EST
The Juneteenth flag flies in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, June 17, 2020. The Juneteenth flag commemorating the day that slavery ended in the U.S. will fly over the Wisconsin Capitol for the first time in state's history, Gov. Tony Evers announced Wednesday. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
AccuWeather's This Date in Weather History podcast took the time to sit down and discuss the importance of Juneteenth, a day designated to commemorate the date on which slavery officially ended in the United States: June 19, 1865. The day is also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day.
Leading up to the Civil War, the main U.S. port west of New Orleans was located in Galveston, Texas. During the early part of the Civil War, the Union captured New Orleans. After the Confederate Army lost New Orleans, Mobile, Alabama, and Galveston were the main ports on the gulf for the Confederate.
In 1864, Mobile fell, causing Galveston to become the main port on the gulf. Because of this, the port was well fortified.
However, the Union managed to gain control of the Mississippi River after the fall of Vicksburg, which led to Galveston being cut off from the rest of the Confederacy.
As the war went on, the Galveston port diminished in importance to the Confederacy into the end of the war.
Finally, on June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger led Union soldiers and landed in Galveston to bring news to the port that the war was over and all who were enslaved were now free.
The events of Juneteenth occurred two-and-a-half years after President Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation official. Contrary to popular belief, this proclamation had very little impact on Texas due to the minimal number of Union troops available to enforce the new order.
That coastal area of Texas was the very last to hear that the Civil War was over and that the Union had prevailed.
On Juneteenth, Granger finally had enough soldiers to enforce the order and overcome the resistance. He read "General Order Number 3," which had long been in effect in other states, as mandated by the federal government, in public that day.
"The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer," the order read.
Specific weather data from June 19, 1865, are scarce in Galveston, but given the proximity of the Gulf of Mexico and the location of the docks, it is clear that the day was relatively calm with sunshine and a light breeze.
"The information that General Granger brought quickly spread and led to joyous celebrations among the now emancipated enslaved people, and it all happened with no adverse weather conditions on that now rightfully celebrated day now known as Juneteenth," AccuWeather Chief Operating Officer Evan Myers said.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Weather News
AccuWeather commemorates Juneteenth on 'This Date in Weather History'
By John Murphy, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Jun 19, 2020 9:22 AM EST
The Juneteenth flag flies in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, June 17, 2020. The Juneteenth flag commemorating the day that slavery ended in the U.S. will fly over the Wisconsin Capitol for the first time in state's history, Gov. Tony Evers announced Wednesday. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
AccuWeather's This Date in Weather History podcast took the time to sit down and discuss the importance of Juneteenth, a day designated to commemorate the date on which slavery officially ended in the United States: June 19, 1865. The day is also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day.
Leading up to the Civil War, the main U.S. port west of New Orleans was located in Galveston, Texas. During the early part of the Civil War, the Union captured New Orleans. After the Confederate Army lost New Orleans, Mobile, Alabama, and Galveston were the main ports on the gulf for the Confederate.
In 1864, Mobile fell, causing Galveston to become the main port on the gulf. Because of this, the port was well fortified.
However, the Union managed to gain control of the Mississippi River after the fall of Vicksburg, which led to Galveston being cut off from the rest of the Confederacy.
As the war went on, the Galveston port diminished in importance to the Confederacy into the end of the war.
Finally, on June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger led Union soldiers and landed in Galveston to bring news to the port that the war was over and all who were enslaved were now free.
The events of Juneteenth occurred two-and-a-half years after President Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation official. Contrary to popular belief, this proclamation had very little impact on Texas due to the minimal number of Union troops available to enforce the new order.
That coastal area of Texas was the very last to hear that the Civil War was over and that the Union had prevailed.
On Juneteenth, Granger finally had enough soldiers to enforce the order and overcome the resistance. He read "General Order Number 3," which had long been in effect in other states, as mandated by the federal government, in public that day.
"The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer," the order read.
Specific weather data from June 19, 1865, are scarce in Galveston, but given the proximity of the Gulf of Mexico and the location of the docks, it is clear that the day was relatively calm with sunshine and a light breeze.
"The information that General Granger brought quickly spread and led to joyous celebrations among the now emancipated enslaved people, and it all happened with no adverse weather conditions on that now rightfully celebrated day now known as Juneteenth," AccuWeather Chief Operating Officer Evan Myers said.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo