On June 19, 1865, not even a century after our nation's founding, a Union Army general - following an order given by President Abraham Lincoln - breathed new life into the ideals first laid out by our Founders. In issuing his General Order Number 3, General Gordon Granger informed the citizens of Galveston, Texas, that slaves were free. He created a cause for celebration that we now honor with our newest federal holiday, Juneteenth.
