Primary Sources
Also known as America’s second Independence Day, Freedom Day, or Emancipation Day, Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. after the Civil War and has been celebrated by African Americans since the late 1800’s. Officially known as Juneteenth National Independence Day, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act was signed on June 17, 2021, making June 19 a legal federal public holiday.
Laws and Legislation
Secondary Sources
Overview/Resources
- Celebrating Juneteenth – American Bar Association
- Civil War Military Records Research – National Archives
- Civil War Prints and Photographs – Library of Congress
- Juneteenth – Billington Library
- Juneteenth.com
- Reflecting on Juneteenth – Facing History & Ourselves
- The Civil War in America Timeline – Library of Congress
- The Pōpolo Project (Hawai‘i)
- What is Juneteenth? – History.com
Articles/Books/Videos
- Facing America : Iconography and the Civil War by Shirley Samuels
- Historical Dictionary of the Civil War and Reconstruction by William Richter
- Juneteenth by Ralph Ellison
- Juneteenth at Comanche Crossing by Doris Hollis Pemberton
- Juneteenth! : celebrating freedom in Texas by Anna Pearl Barrett
- Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom – PBS
- Juneteenth Texas : essays in African-American folklore by Francis Edward Aberneth
- Juneteenth : The Story Behind Celebration by Edward T. Cotham
- On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed
- Teaching Juneteenth by Coshandra Dillard
- The Civil War by Brooks Simpson
- The Emancipation Proclamation: three views (social, political, iconographic) by Harold Holzer
- The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference by Margaret Wagner
- Why Juneteenth, the U.S.’s Second Independence Day, Is a Federal Holiday by Meilan Solly
Museum Exhibits
Last updated: April 22, 2025