What is Juneteenth, and why is it important? - Karlos K. Hill and Soraya Field Fiorio

Summary

Charlotte Brooks, a 17-year-old enslaved girl, learns of slavery's abolition but kept secret by her enslaver. She claims her freedom and escapes with her daughter. The script explores the long history of slavery in the US, its economic impact, and the gradual abolition process. It highlights Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War's role in ending slavery. Juneteenth, celebrated since 1865, marks the day all enslaved people were declared free in Texas, and now a federal holiday, symbolizes the fight for racial equality and freedom.

Takeaways

• 🏃‍♀️ Charlotte Brooks discovered the abolition of slavery and escaped with her daughter Tempie from William Neyland's plantation.
• 📜 Slavery was a defining institution in the United States from its colonial past to its growth as an independent nation.
• 💼 The cotton industry and economy of the US were significantly fueled by slavery.
• 🏛️ Ten of the first twelve US presidents were slave owners.
• 🔨 Enslaved people resisted slavery from the beginning through various means including escape and rebellion.
• 🗽 Vermont and Massachusetts were early states to abolish slavery during the American Revolution.
• 🚫 In 1808, the US federal law banned the import of enslaved people but domestic slave trade continued.
• 🤝 Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860 led to Southern states seceding and forming the Confederacy, sparking the Civil War.
• 📜 The Emancipation Proclamation promised freedom to enslaved people in Confederate states, contingent on their not rejoining the Union.
• 🏰 The 13th Amendment, passed in 1865, promised to end slavery throughout the US, but required ratification by 27 states to take effect.
• 🎉 Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19th, commemorates the announcement of freedom for enslaved people in Texas and is now a federal holiday.

Q & A

How old was Charlotte Brooks when she overheard the secret about slavery being abolished?

Charlotte Brooks was 17 years old when she overheard the secret.

What was the name of the plantation where Charlotte Brooks was enslaved?

Charlotte Brooks was enslaved at William Neyland's Texas Plantation.

What did Charlotte Brooks do after learning about the abolition of slavery?

After learning about the abolition of slavery, Charlotte Brooks proclaimed her freedom, spread the news throughout the plantation, and ran away.

What significant event happened on the plantation the night after Charlotte Brooks learned about her freedom?

The night after learning about her freedom, Charlotte Brooks returned to the plantation to rescue her daughter, Tempie.

How did slavery contribute to the United States' economic growth?

Slavery fueled the cotton industry in the United States, making it a leading economic power.

How many of the first 12 U.S. presidents enslaved people?

Ten of the first 12 U.S. presidents enslaved people.

What was the impact of Abraham Lincoln's election on the Southern states?

Lincoln's election caused panic in Southern states, leading them to begin withdrawing from the Union and forming the Confederacy.

What did the Emancipation Proclamation promise, and under what condition would it be fulfilled?

The Emancipation Proclamation promised freedom to the 3.5 million people enslaved in Confederate states, but it would only be fulfilled if those states did not rejoin the Union by January 1st, 1863.

When was the 13th Amendment passed, and what did it promise?

The 13th Amendment was passed on January 31st, 1865, promising to end slavery throughout the United States, except as punishment for a crime.

What event is commemorated on Juneteenth, and how did it come to be celebrated?

Juneteenth commemorates the announcement by Union General Gordon Granger on June 19th that all enslaved people in Texas were officially free. It started as a local celebration in Galveston, Texas, and grew to become the most widespread emancipation celebration.

When did Juneteenth become a federal holiday in the United States?

Juneteenth became a federal holiday in the United States in 2021.

Outlines

00:00

🏃‍♀️ Escape to Freedom

Charlotte Brooks, a 17-year-old enslaved girl, overhears that slavery has been abolished but is being kept secret by her enslaver, William Neyland. She claims her freedom, spreads the news, and escapes with her daughter Tempie. The paragraph also discusses the historical context of slavery in the United States, its economic impact, and the resistance by enslaved people. It details the steps towards abolition, including Lincoln's election, the Civil War, and the Emancipation Proclamation. However, it highlights that actual implementation was uneven and delayed, with some areas not fully embracing freedom until much later.

Keywords

💡Slavery

Slavery refers to the practice of owning human beings as property, controlling their labor, and often subjecting them to brutal conditions. In the context of the video, slavery is the central theme, highlighting its role in shaping the United States from its colonial past to its growth as a nation. The video illustrates how slavery was abolished but kept secret by enslavers like William Neyland, which is a direct example of the term's usage.

💡Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation was a declaration issued by President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War, which announced that all slaves in Confederate states would be set free. The video uses this term to mark a pivotal moment in the struggle against slavery, illustrating the uneven process of emancipation and the ongoing resistance by enslaved people.

💡Confederacy

The Confederacy refers to the group of 11 Southern states that seceded from the United States and fought against the Union during the American Civil War, primarily to preserve the institution of slavery. The video mentions the Confederacy to show the opposition to the abolition of slavery and the formation of a separate government that upheld it.

💡13th Amendment

The 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution officially abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. The video discusses the 13th Amendment as the legal milestone that ended chattel slavery in the country, emphasizing the importance of its ratification in December 1865.

💡Juneteenth

Juneteenth, a portmanteau of 'June' and 'nineteenth,' is a holiday commemorating the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865. The video uses Juneteenth to illustrate the varied dates of emancipation across different regions and the celebration of freedom by the formerly enslaved community.

💡Abolition

Abolition refers to the act of ending or putting an end to a practice or institution, in this case, slavery. The video describes the process of abolition in the United States, which was gradual and uneven, and the resistance by enslaved people that contributed to its eventual end.

💡Chattel Slavery

Chattel slavery is a form of slavery where people are treated as personal property, or chattel, to be bought, sold, and traded. The video discusses the formal end of chattel slavery in the US with the ratification of the 13th Amendment, marking a significant shift in the legal status of enslaved individuals.

💡Resistance

Resistance in the context of the video refers to the various acts and strategies used by enslaved people to fight against their oppression, such as escaping, breaking tools, and staging rebellions. The video highlights resistance as an ongoing theme throughout the history of slavery in the United States.

💡Plantation

A plantation is a large-scale agricultural estate, typically worked by slaves or laborers. The video mentions plantations to depict the setting where enslaved individuals like Charlotte Brooks were forced to work and live under harsh conditions.

💡Racial Inequality

Racial inequality refers to the unequal treatment or access to resources and opportunities based on race. The video addresses racial inequality to show that even after the formal abolition of slavery, the struggle for true freedom and equality continued for African Americans.

💡Federal Holiday

A federal holiday is a public holiday in the United States recognized by the federal government. The video notes that Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, underscoring the ongoing recognition and celebration of the end of slavery in the country.

Highlights

Charlotte Brooks overheard that slavery had been abolished but was kept secret by her enslaver.

At 17, Charlotte Brooks was separated from her family and enslaved at William Neyland’s Texas Plantation.

Brooks proclaimed her freedom and spread the news of abolition across the plantation.

Charlotte Brooks escaped with her daughter Tempie, avoiding capture by Neyland.

Slavery was a defining feature of the United States from its colonial past to its growth as an independent nation.

Slavery was instrumental in fueling the US cotton industry and making it an economic power.

Ten of the first twelve US presidents owned slaves.

The process of ending slavery in the US was long and uneven.

Enslaved people resisted slavery from the beginning through various means.

During the American Revolution, Vermont and Massachusetts abolished slavery.

In 1808, the US federal law banned the import of enslaved people but allowed domestic slave trade to continue.

Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860 caused Southern states to panic and begin seceding from the Union.

Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation promised freedom to enslaved people in Confederate states.

The Emancipation Proclamation did not apply to enslaved people in border states that did not secede.

The American Civil War ended with the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in 1865.

The 13th Amendment, promising to end slavery, was passed by Congress but required ratification by 27 states.

General Gordon Granger announced the freedom of all enslaved people in Texas on June 19th, over two years after the official end of the Civil War.

The 13th Amendment was finally ratified on December 6th, 1865, formally ending chattel slavery in the US.

Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19th, commemorates the announcement of freedom for enslaved people in Texas.

Juneteenth became a federal holiday in the United States in 2021.

Juneteenth is a celebration of the end of slavery, the pursuit of freedom, and a pledge to remember the past and envision the future.

Transcripts

One day, while hiding in the kitchen,

Charlotte Brooks overheard a life-changing secret.

At the age of 17, she’d been separated from her family

and taken to William Neyland’s Texas Plantation.

There, she was made to do housework at the violent whims of her enslavers.

On that fateful day, she learned that slavery had recently been abolished,

but Neyland conspired to keep this a secret from those he enslaved.

Hearing this, Brooks stepped out of her hiding spot, proclaimed her freedom,

spread the news throughout the plantation, and ran.

That night, she returned for her daughter, Tempie.

And before Neyland’s spiteful bullets could find them, they were gone for good.

For more than two centuries,

slavery defined what would become the United States—

from its past as the 13 British colonies to its growth as an independent country.

Slavery fueled its cotton industry and made it a leading economic power.

10 of the first 12 presidents enslaved people.

And when US chattel slavery finally ended,

it was a long and uneven process.

Enslaved people resisted from the beginning—

by escaping, breaking tools, staging rebellions, and more.

During the American Revolution, Vermont and Massachusetts abolished slavery

while several states took steps towards gradual abolition.

In 1808, federal law banned the import of enslaved African people,

but it allowed the slave trade to continue domestically.

Approximately 4 million people were enslaved in the US

when Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860.

Lincoln opposed slavery, and though he had no plans to outlaw it,

his election caused panic in Southern states,

which began withdrawing from the Union.

they vowed to uphold slavery and formed the Confederacy,

triggering the start of the American Civil War.

A year into the conflict, Lincoln abolished slavery in Washington, D.C.,

legally freeing more than 3,000 people.

And five months later, he announced the Emancipation Proclamation.

It promised freedom to the 3.5 million people enslaved in Confederate states.

But it would only be fulfilled if the rebelling states didn’t rejoin the Union

by January 1st, 1863.

And it bore no mention of the roughly 500,000 people in bondage

in the border states of Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri

that hadn’t seceded.

When the Confederacy refused to surrender,

Union soldiers began announcing emancipation.

But many Southern areas remained under Confederate control,

making it impossible to actually implement abolition throughout the South.

The war raged on for two more years, and on January 31st, 1865,

Congress passed the 13th Amendment.

It promised to end slavery throughout the US—

except as punishment for a crime.

But to go into effect, 27 states would have to ratify it first.

Meanwhile, the Civil War virtually ended with the surrender

of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on April 9th, 1865.

But although slavery was technically illegal in all Southern states,

it still persisted in the last bastions of the Confederacy.

There, enslavers like Neyland continued to evade abolition until forced.

This was also the case when Union General Gordon Granger marched his troops

into Galveston, Texas, on June 19th

and announced that all enslaved people there were officially free—

and had been for more than two years.

Still, at this point, people remained legally enslaved in the border states.

It wasn’t until more than five months later, on December 6th, 1865,

that the 13th Amendment was finally ratified.

This formally ended chattel slavery in the US.

Because official emancipation was a staggered process,

people in different places commemorated it on different dates.

Those in Galveston, Texas, began celebrating “Juneteenth”—

a combination of “June” and “nineteenth”—

on the very first anniversary of General Granger’s announcement.

Over time, smaller Juneteenth gatherings gave way to large parades.

And the tradition eventually became

the most widespread of emancipation celebrations.

But, while chattel slavery had officially ended,

racial inequality, oppression, and terror had not.

Celebrating emancipation was itself an act of continued resistance.

And it wasn't until 2021 that Juneteenth became a federal holiday.

Today, Juneteenth holds profound significance as a celebration

of the demise of slavery, the righteous pursuit of true freedom for all,

and a continued pledge to remember the past and dream the future.