Juneteenth: The Story Behind the Celebration

by Edward T. Cotham Jr.

Juneteenth has been touted as a national day celebrating the end of slavery. Observances from coast to coast have turned this event into part of the national conversation about race, slavery, and how Americans understand, acknowledge, and explain what has been called the national “original sin.”

But, why Juneteenth? Where did this celebration—which promises to become a national holiday—come from? What is the origin story? What are the facts, and legends, around this important day in the nation’s history?

This is the first scholarly book to delve into the history behind Juneteenth. Using decades of research in archives around the nation, this book helps separate myth from reality and tells the story behind the celebration in a way that provides new understanding and appreciation for the event.

This book will captivate people interested in the history of emancipation and African American history but also those interested in Civil War and Texas history.

As the United States continues to wrestle with race relations and the meaning of full equality, Juneteenth promises to become an important expression of that equality—an Independence Day celebration in its own right, a couple of weeks in advance of the traditional July 4th Holiday. This book will be a welcome addition to classrooms, book clubs and general readers interested in this once obscure regional event now destined for the national spotlight.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

344 pages, Hardcover

Published May 25, 2021

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

People who love military history and have a genuine curiosity for what emancipation looked like, what led up to it, and how it unfolded will undoubtedly love this book. For me, it was too much minutiae. I didn’t really care to know which battles, by whom, where, etc., though I did find the resulting political struggles for power behind the actual fighting more intriguing.

I think it’s important for everyone to learn about Juneteenth, as well as the immediate and current ramifications of the day. This is the second book I read about it this year. It was thorough, if too thorough, but it was certainly very informative, if too informative. It also contained a lot of photographs, which confronted a bit of my technological ignorance, because I didn’t realize cameras had been invented before the Civil War. I was glad to be illuminated.

[Lisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough telling of Juneteenth's origins - it filled in some significant gaps in my understanding of the American Civil War, especially of the battles that were fought in the South and West (Texas), and the roles that different people played in the general order that brought emancipation to the enslaved people in Texas, two long years after Lincoln's historic Emancipation Proclamation. The book also addresses many of the difficulties and challenges that both Black and white folks in the South faced (economically and socially) as they transitioned to life after chattel slavery and looks ahead to future celebrations of freedom. It approaches a tender topic with honesty, humility, and hope. I definitely recommend this book.

[Michael Norwitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, concise little book about the June 19th holiday, providing information on the personalities and the specific politics which led up to the event. It clarified a lot of the background for me and I'd recommend the book as a basic history.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too dry. But informative.

[Gisele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it. It was kinda boring at times but also very informative. I learned a lot! 😁

[Leanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great telling of the events leading up to and after Juneteenth. I learned a lot that I did not know previously.